


Desperation

by StellaScully1984 (queenofharts1984)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Author is writing in the dark. Plot will decide itself, Ben Solo good boy trying to work through., Beta read up to Chapter 11, Cat and Mouse, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Dominant Kylo Ren, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, Have to catch me first, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, Kylo is the Supreme Leader, Okay...as the story goes Kylo Ren is a little nice., Please don't look for plot holes., Rey is a cardiologist, Sorry proofing takes time!, Soulmates, Unhealthy bond, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:41:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 73,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22171225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofharts1984/pseuds/StellaScully1984
Summary: The Empires control grows stronger with each passing year. The decline of births led the established government to breakdown, and adopt the regime to keep chaos at bay. Soulmates are born with a distinguished birthmark. For women the mark is a curse. Once matched to their soulmate, they become his property. Rey a skilled cardiologist has gone to great lengths to make sure her life isn't controlled by anyone. Everything changes when one of her patient's happens to be the father of Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren. How do you escape a man whose army is everywhere?Rey only knows she'll have to try.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 420
Kudos: 491





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Art is by Gwendy Gayle Hollanes Delos Santos.

Chapter One

Fifteen minutes ago, a very irritated nurse had informed Dr. Rey Sky that her patient was being non-compliant. Surgery was scheduled for this afternoon and, if true, the man she was supposed to be putting a pacemaker in was eating a pint of ice cream.

Sighing in frustration, she rubbed her temples and glanced at her watch. The day had already started out with a complicated bypass and now a Mr. Solo was going to cause her to have to reschedule his surgery. The day could not get worse.

She glanced up from her desk and smiled at a familiar beep. A BB-8 droid rolled in. Technically a med droid, this one had a coffee delivery for her. Luke, her mentor and head of cardiology, must have sent it.

“Tell him thank you,” she said taking the steaming mug. The machine beeped and then another droid appeared, this one a more advanced humanoid prototype. “C-3PO, what’s up?”

“Oh dear. I’ve disturbed you.” The unblinking golden eyes stared at her. “Master Luke wanted me to tell you to take the day off. Though he wouldn’t explain why.”

“Day off?” Rey was puzzled. “Where’s he at?”

The droid beeped.

“Greeting a big-wig?” Rey paused, chewing the inside of her cheek. The hospital was the largest in what used to be New York, before the rise of the republic. The government- The Empire- refused to acknowledge statehood. Instead, New York was Faction 11.

The droid beeped again.

Rey rolled her eyes. “Wouldn’t be the first time a general needed a bypass, even though it contradicts the belief they have hearts.”

“Oh dear, oh dear...I told Master Luke that you wouldn’t leave. I told him…”

BB-8 beeped.

“I can keep a secret. It’s in my programing to do so. Maybe not yours.” C-3PO said indignantly. “Which is probably why most childless couples adopt my program and not yours.”

“Boys.” Rey interjected. They both turned to look at her. “I have two more patients and rounds. Who’s the big wig?”

“Rey, lucky finding you here.” Dr. Armitage Hux pushed past C-3PO without even giving the droid a glance. The robot was a foot shorter than the physician, and he stumbled back.

“Oh dear” C-3PO repeated.

“Don’t you have a trash bin to empty?” Hux snapped at the duo.

The droid beeped, and Hux’s face turned red. Rey coughed a laugh into her hand. But the zing about Hux’s mother being as big as Jabba the Hutt was pretty spot on.

Rey waved the droids off before they got into trouble. “Tell Luke I’ll reschedule a few things and try to leave early.”

Hux’s eyes narrowed at her remark, but he let the bots pass without a retort. The red-headed cardiologist rarely could allow any slight to his person, so for him to hold back meant he was after something. Now it was her turn to narrow her eyes.

“I’ve known you too long for pleasantries. Did one of your patients tell you he couldn’t pay? My caseload is already full.”

His faux smile turned into a haughty sneer. Instead of answering her he shut the door.

“Hey, this is still my office. Door open!”

Hux ignored her. “I want that patient in 202A.”

Her colleague was a slimeball on a good day: taking the cream of the crop patients, catering to the wealthy, and trying to push his schedule in front of others who had sicker patients. Maybe someone was playing a practical joke on Hux and had told him she was taking care of a celebrity.

“Let me get this straight,” Rey said. “You want my non-compliant, 57-year-old patient who smokes and admitted to taking his neighbors heart medication for his Afib.” She looked at him in disbelief when he nodded. “Why?”

“For my own reasons. Unlike you, I’ve done my research.” Hux walked to her desk and plopped down in one of the two guest chairs. He studied the sparsely furnished room. When his eyes met Rey’s again, she could see the contempt.

“No.”

Hux fingers clenched the armrest of his chair, his knuckles turning white. “You think you’re being cute? I wish I was your mate, I’d…”

“Well you’re not.” She took a sip of her coffee, feigning boredom. “Anything else, Armitage?” She used his first name pointedly, despite his insistence that people call him Hux.

““Han Solo’s son is Kylo Ren. The second in command within The Empire.”

The pen that she was holding clattered on the desk. Her heart thumped hard in her chest and her throat felt dry. Her reaction was exactly what Hux had been hoping for, and he breathed it in smugly.

“That’s not possible,” Rey sputtered. ”I only get patients on my pro bono schedule who have no means to pay.”

“He’s a resistance supporter, so the Empire won’t allow him benefits. Solo and his wife also burned their soulmate marks.” Hux straightened the lapel of his white coat. “All for show, though. It only matters if you can breed.”

Rey swallowed hard and tried to keep her face neutral. To burn the blue circle on the left wrist was one of the worst offenses one could commit against the Empire. After all, only soulmates could produce children. “The Empire is merciful, then.”

Hux clapped his hands. “Bravo. If you add a little more emotion, I might almost believe you support it.” He glanced at her wrist. “Funny. Are you quite sure the database has the correct info on you? What are you, twenty-eight? Thirty?”

It took everything she had not to put her left hand under the desk and hide it. She wore a long sleeve shirt and a thick leather watch that effectively hid the symbol.

“The Republic census have my fingerprints. Every year I register them.”

“No identical prints...how unusual. Your mate couldn’t be dead, or you'd already be in the hospice wing...a pity that would be.”

“Yes, I’m sure you’ll cry at my funeral.” Rey took a long sip of coffee, enjoying how good it felt to make the arrogant ass wait on her good grace. Setting it down, she gave a small tut. “Very well, I’ll talk to Mr. Solo and see if he’s okay with me signing off.” She pretended to look at an EKG she’d already analyzed, hoping he’d leave. When he didn’t budge, she gave up. “I assume you are hoping this surgery will get some kind of promotion?”

“My wife, Matilda, is due with our third son. A favor from Kylo Ren could get each one of my boys admitted into the First Order academy.”

“Maddie, she was a nurse. A good nurse.” Rey said with a reflective pause. “It’s not my business, but three children in four years…”

“Yes, it is not your business.” Hux snapped. “Her safety and welfare are my keeping. As is my right.”

“The Empire deems it so.” She said mechanically. Then leaned a little closer to purr. “May your small dick produce many children.”

“I’ve never liked you.” Hux snapped his teeth together. “I hope he takes your career. I hope he makes you whelp him a brat every year and beats that cocky chip off your shoulder. A woman should never be allowed this much power. The Empire shouldn’t give any of the weaker gender rights.”

“Not today. Today I can still tell you to fuck off.”

Instead of spouting off more hateful rhetoric, his expression became almost serene, which instantly put her on alert. Hux steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair. “I noticed on your report that Rose Tico has been collecting your fingerprint cards for the last nine years.”

“That’s her job.”

“Of course. It’s just curious how in a random selection you seem to always get her.”

Hux rose from his chair. Rey’s fingers drifted along the underside of her desk, skimming for the syringe taped to the surface.

“You’re a busy man, what made you pull my report?” Rey couldn’t keep the edge out of her voice.

“Mrs. Tico in HR is up for an audit again. The second time in five years. Rumor has it her sister Paige may have escaped to Canada with a little help from the resistance.

“Escaping an abusive husband shouldn’t be illegal.” Rey knew she needed to bite her tongue. Talking this way could get her fined. Or worse, put a spotlight on her she didn’t need. “I’m sorry, I spoke out of turn. Rose has no part of the growing resistance.”

Hux snorted. “Growing is hardly a term a loyal supporter would use. That rebel group is trying to tear down the thriving government we’ve spent the last fifty years creating.” When she said no more, his eyes dropped to her wrist. “You know, hiding one's mark on the off chance it could react to a soulmate or tampering with one’s fingerprint records is a terrible terrible crime.”

“I-I don’t know what you’re implying.” Rey’s voice was icy, but she felt her hands shake as she pulled the syringe. She made sure to distract his gaze by using her other hand to sweep some papers. The weapon safely hidden under charts, she hugged the documents to her chest. 5cc’s of ketamine was enough to put down a large horse. Up until this moment she’d never felt threatened enough to use it.

Hux stood up, made for the exit. “I expect you need to visit your patient.” He opened the door. “I’ll be sure to make my rounds and you can introduce us.”

When he was truly gone, she let out a breath she’d been holding. The syringe didn’t go back to its hiding spot; instead, she placed it into her pocket. Luke’s warning to go home now had more weight to it. She’d see Solo and reschedule her other patients.

Hux was just trying to strong arm her. Making sure he landed the patient with veiled threats. Still. if anyone knew.

Finn and Rose had two kids. They could be fined, or worse, lose their children to an integrative program. She shuddered. As much as she loved her job, perhaps it was time to flee to a neutral country. There were so few now: Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. The Empire was growing larger by the day, and the pressure to conform had already caused much of world to wave the white flag and swear allegiance. Plus, no society wanted to die out and with only fifty percent of the population able to reproduce, the Empire had sought to control the children born with an iron fist.

She walked slowly down the hall. A TV flashed in one of the many lobbies. A woman with a human droid watched it. The droid was dressed in a baggy sweater and sweatpants. While the prototype could be assimilated to any genders, this one looked male. The gold metallic hands of the robot held a Gameboy. A non-soulmate pair could acquire one or two of these droids to “raise”. For all the metal, they were surprisingly human. While the robots could own no property nor be officially recognized as an individual, they could speak on behalf of their family members and officiate their “parents” funeral and last wishes.

The woman watching the TV put her arm around the droid and kissed its head. Rey hoped it was enough. She wondered if her mother had ever kissed her. Unkar Plutt, her adoptive father, never had.

The door to 202A was open when she arrived. The patient was flipping through television channels, but he looked up when she entered. “This hospital don’t have anything but propaganda programs?”

Solo had a wide face and salt and pepper hair. Blue-gray eyes twinkled with a cocky smile to match them. “Don’t give me too big of a tongue lashing,” he added. “I did it on purpose.”

“Well at least you admit to it.” She tried to keep her voice clipped. “Are you afraid of going under the knife? I can tell you there’s nothing to be worried about, it’s-”

“Shit kid, no offense,” he interrupted, holding up his hands in surrender when she arched a brow at “kid”. “Hey, you look like you’re fifteen. You can cut me open and put that hunk of metal in. Promise. But not today.”

Rey decided to let the insult slide. “Why not?”

“My wife isn’t here yet. They detained her at the airport.” He sighed. “They always do.”

“Oh. I see.”

“We have the bond...and it’s just better if she’s near.”

“Nothing to fear. In the unlikely event of your death, we’d do everything in our power to make her comfortable.”

“Yeah, yeah...You guys should start working less on making a perfect Stepford Wives society and focus on why this whole anomaly thing even happened.” Rey restrained herself from rolling her eyes with the ease of long-borne practice.

“We suspect the genetically mutated crops that became popular by most of Asia and adopted by Western farmers might be suspect. The blue marks started showing up shortly after-”

“I’m thinking aliens.”

“We made contact with them a century ago.” Rey didn’t really want to have this argument. It was one of those rabbit holes that sucked people in. “The reason I’m here isn’t to chew you out, but to tell you I’m handing over the case to my esteemed colleague Dr. Hux.”

“Is Hux pretty like you?”

“Armitage Hux”

“Can I call him Armie?”

She smiled. “Yes, I believe he would love that.”

It wouldn’t hurt to give him a once over. Going to the bedside, she took her stethoscope off her neck and he obliged by letting her listen to his heart and lungs. Finding them in good working order she glanced down to see the burn marked skin of his left wrist. He followed her gaze.

“Leia is my soulmate,” he said gruffly. “But it ain’t no kriffing business of the republic and I don’t own her like the government dictates. So I burned it, and they can take it as me giving them the bird.”

“That’s nice,” she said quietly, glancing at her own mark. She couldn’t quite keep the wistfulness out of her voice. He caught her gaze and shook his head sadly.

“I know.” He glanced at the door and, finding no one hanging close, whispered “Haven’t found yours yet?”

“No.”

Solo looked over her shoulder and for a second his expression was jubilant, but then faded into concern. He cleared his throat. “May the Empire live on and prosper,” he said abruptly.

She wrinkled her brow, perplexed and turned to find a tall man with raven dark hair watching them. He dressed in a black suit with red trim. She knew that face--everyone knew that face.

Kylo tugged at his leather gloves to remove them and set them down on the small table by the door. “Thank you, father, but please don’t pretend on my account.”

“Ben. Didn’t expect you to show up. How’s it going, son?” Solo’s smile had gone from relaxed to tight.

“Mother flagged security again.” He stepped further into the room and, to Rey’s dismay, shut the door. “Another trip to Australia? How convenient that her visits correlated with the Empire’s negotiation talk.”

Rey thought Kylo was much bigger in person. In fact, to be so close to the man who pulled the strings of what dictated life around her was terrifying.

Han, however, seemed to not be intimidated by his son’s title, for his next words sounded more like he was talking to a spoiled child: “If you came to family dinners, you’d know your second cousin, Kaydel, was ill.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Kylo snapped. “I only came because I was told by this hospital you were critically ill.” For the first time, he acknowledged her presence. “He does not look critically ill to me, doctor…?” He trailed off, searching her coat for a name tag.

“S-Sky.” She stammered, inwardly cursing Hux, knowing it was him who’d made the phone call. “I was just signing off. Another physician will…” He took a step forward and she felt an itch that tingled up her arm. “W-Will take over.”

The darkest eyes she’d ever seen were holding her own. “What’s your first name?” He was walking towards her, and the itch turned into a burn. She couldn’t breathe. Did he know? Did he…

At that moment, Hux opened the door, and for the first time in her life, she actually felt relief at seeing his arrogant visage. Kylo, however, did not take the interruption well.

“This is a private room.” Kylo’s words were meant to instantly dismiss the man. “Didn’t the guards tell you?”

Hux’s blue eyes took in the scene. “Yes, Supreme Leader. I am your father’s doctor. I’d be happy to update you.”

“Is the doctor in front of me incompetent?” Kylo challenged. Hux seemed to shrivel inside himself when Kylo closed the distance between them.

“No sir, of course not sir.” Hux stammered out. “I called you down here. I am a loyal follower to the Empire....I only hope after today you remember my name and my family, Supreme Leader.”

“I’m about to remember someone who wasted my time, and that is dangerous,” Kylo warned.

Solo was looking at Rey. He saw her rub her wrist. He looked towards his son and back at her. “Oh, hell…” he whispered.

Kylo took Hux’s silence as cowardice. “Did you think by taking over my father’s case you’d secure a favor? Kylo sneered. “That is a foolish gamble…”

“No, my Lord.” Hux grabbed Kylo’s arm and pointed at Rey. “The girl...the girl is your…”

Hans slapped his chest suddenly. “SON...Ben…”

It was horrible acting. Rey wanted to slap her forehead. Hux didn’t look at Han, gaze still locked on Rey. His body moved to block the door. He fucking knew, she thought. He’d set this up. Her fingers touched the syringe in her coat pocket. It might kill him. But if Hux died, so would Matilda.

Hans rolled out of bed. He hit the ground hard enough that Rey winced. That, at least looked real. Kylo left Hux side to rush to his father’s.

“What’s going on?” Kylo shouted at both doctors.

Rey moved quickly. Hux moved to stop her, and she hit him hard in the kidney. His mouth puckered around a noise of pain as he crumpled. She didn’t look at Kylo. He yelled her last name. Two guards were suddenly at the entrance, their white masks hiding their faces.

“The Supreme Leader’s father is coding. I’m getting help.” The guards parted. It gave her a two second head start. She heard a commotion. Heard Solo yell. Heard Kylo yell something that sounded like, “Let go of me.”

She slammed through a side door. She knew her way. Knew she was already on borrowed time. There was no way she was going to make it in time.

But maybe…

Her office was down the next hallway. She pushed a chair under the doorknob. It was a good thing, too, because a second later, the knob started twisting.

“Open the door,” Guards with mechanical voices demanded.

She grabbed her cellphone and quickly ticked off a warning to Rose. One word: Mayday. She dropped the phone on the ground and crushed it under her foot before turning toward her large file cabinet. It was there, right where she’d left it: a small bundle hidden inside an Almanac. She’d have to plan it just right, and if she was wrong... She pulled the syringe out and squirted out half the dose. She couldn’t kill him.

“Sky.” The guards’ voices had been replaced. There was a soft knock, one that seemed to belay the violence on the other side. “I’ve already been sucker punched by my father. My mood is not in the best place right now. Open the door.”

“I’m calling a lawyer,” she lied. His pause gave her a moment to put the item from the bundle in her mouth. It fit awkwardly behind her teeth.

“You had your chance. I do not give second ones.”

The door exploded inward. It had been a sturdy thing and it had splintered like a toothpick. She trembled as he stepped inside. Kylo was alone. The guards were nowhere to be seen.

Rey couldn’t talk anymore. Not yet. Instead she looked down. Refusing to make eye contact.

“Ms. Sky, I believe I asked what your first name was.” His voice was calm, as if this was a natural way to pick up their conversation. He’d crossed the distance between her door and desk, shoving the two chairs out of the way with such force they indented the walls. She flinched but refused to react or give him eye contact. Another second passed, and he gave an irritated huff. “Fine. I don’t have to play nice.”

A large arm snaked out and grabbed her left wrist. Reflexively, she tried to fight, but he pulled her over the desk, ignoring her protesting form that kicked papers and knocked her computer screen over. He held the offending wrist up at eye level, giving it a look of disgust before working the watch off. “A cloaking device. Illegal, but I’m sure you know that.” He tossed the item on the floor. “Surprised I felt anything with this on.”

She met his cool stare with her own angry one. He held his own wrist up next to hers. The effect was instant. She felt his rage. It wasn’t directed at her, not quite. He was humiliated. He’d known last. His own father had known before him and…

“Enjoying my thoughts?” he murmured. “Because it’s a two-way road.”

She tried to shut her mind. He tsked. “Such a pretty mouth. What are you hiding in it?”

She tried to pull away and his fingers gripped her jaw. His expression softened. She noticed his full lips and the way his eyes lost their fire when he touched her. She felt calm. He was calming her. The bastard was using the bond to make her compliant. She fought the pull.

“Shhh....it’s okay. I feel it too.” Tears welled in her eyes at his word. He watched them with a distracted look that was neither pity nor compassion. “You’re mine.” He bent down to kiss her.

“My name is Rey,” she whispered.

His lips paused a breath away from her own. “She speaks.”

“This is really going to hurt.”

“I won’t hurt you…” Kylo promised. He saw her teeth start to work. “What are you, stop.”

She snapped the capsule and plunged the needle into his calf.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amazing Art by Gwendy https://gwendy85.tumblr.com/post/190844908503 (I used photo manip to add color)

****

**Chapter Two**

Rey was able to feel victorious for two whole seconds. Kylo Ren didn’t just fall, he buckled like a deck of cards, and took her with him. Even unconscious, he seemed resolute to prevent her escape. 

“How much do you weigh?” She gritted her teeth and shoved hard at his sternum and shoulder forcing him to roll. “Get off!”

He appeared less intimidating and more comical with an open mouth and his face smushed on top of medical journals. Scooting out, she glanced at the open door, and found to her relief that no one had come running.

She grasped her desk and pulled herself up. “Bet your arrogant ass thought you could handle me alone, hmm?” 

The capsule’s bitter taste was still on her tongue. No effect yet. Maybe DJ, the courier who sold it to her lied. With her bad luck, it was just a placebo and he’d made off with a nice stash of pharmaceuticals in return for the black-market item. 

She stumbled to the door. There was a flicker of lights overhead before everything went dark. The blackout was quickly followed by the sound of footsteps. The lowlights flickered on, the back-up generator working to keep everything online.

She had to get to the mailroom. Medical records staff kept a repulsorlift courier transport outside. It had access codes with permission to enter most of the city. If she could get to her locked box account, hidden in one of the red-light districts, she’d have the means to pay a smuggler fee.

“Halt.” 

Mechanical voices called down the hallway. Turning, she saw two guards in white masks. They were often called Storm Troopers, as in their garrison they amassed in great numbers; they were a white cloud, faceless and nameless, ordered to thunder down the will of the Empire.

They probably had orders not to kill her. At least, she hoped so, ignoring them as she took off.

“Kid, Stop!”

She skidded to a stop in front of the stairwell she’d hoped to fly down and glanced back at her pursuers.

“Solo?”

They took off their masks, revealing Solo and Luke. When they saw her baffled expression they grinned. 

“I arrived in room 202 just as the guards returned from chasing you.” Luke said. His wrinkled face couldn’t hide his utter delight. Which was mad, because this was treason. “Where’s Kylo?”

“Knocked out with ketamine,” she said, and didn’t miss Solo’s relief. “Why are you helping me?”

“Later. Right now, we need to get to the basement.” Luke put his mask back on.

Chaos worked in their favor. They were in a large hospital with Empire guards trying to enter. Rumor was that a big general had been killed, and no one wanted to get in the middle of that disaster. Rey moved between the two men, and while a few raised an eyebrow, no one stopped them. Everything was going great until the last stairwell.

Her ears started ringing. Then she couldn’t feel her fingertips. She stopped walking, feeling warmth creep over her.

“What’s wrong kid?” 

She was trying to tell them, but her mouth wasn’t working.

Luke threw his helmet off and ran to her. She crumpled and would’ve fallen down the steps if he hadn't caught her. 

Han joined them. He snapped his helmet off. His face grief-stricken. “Does this mean Ben’s dead?”

“No. It takes weeks for bonds to affect the other.” Luke said. His fingers pressed into her carotid pulse. “This is something else.”

Rey was fading fast. “Bl-block-bl-bl”

“What’s she saying?” Solo was peering above her. 

“Nothing good. Come on, help me carry her.”

“Carry her?” Solo was picking her up even as he talked. “We’re heading back upstairs then?”

“No.” Luke’s voice sounded far away. “She’ll either die in the next five minutes or be fine.”

“What?” Solo yelled. It was the only reason she heard it. “Are you sure you guys are doctors?”

Everything went black.

  
  


She opened her eyes to a blue sky. 

New York did not have vibrant blue skies. There was always something in them: Star Destroyer ships, passenger planes, the dreary clouds that never seemed to leave. This was an expanse of horizon that was unnatural in its purity.

Sitting up only furthered the mystery. Wildflowers surrounded her. She only knew that’s what they were because she’d seen them in an old magazine once. Parts of the world still existed that had such beauty, but New York wasn’t one of them. Central Park’s trees were genetically modified to never die. The leaves didn’t fall unless you pulled them. 

She plucked a flower out of the earth and breathed it in. No smell. Disappointed, she tried another one.

“You have to know what they smell like first.”

She froze. 

“Please don’t run.” Kylo walked towards her. He wasn’t in his black outfit. Instead, he wore denim blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a windbreaker jacket. The sight of him in such undress was enough to make her obey him.

“If I’m dying, I prefer to be comfortable,” he said when he saw her looking at his clothes. “You must be dying or you wouldn’t be here.”

“I-I took a blocker pill.”

He gave a derisive snort and sat down next to her. “I know. I sensed it before you...stabbed me. Didn’t see that syringe detail, _obviously_.” His tone was light. Almost kind. “You do know one out of four people who take that pill die. Not sure if that’s brave or foolish.”

“Well, I’m dying, so probably the latter.” She glanced around at the field of endless red, blue and yellow poppies speckled with other species she didn’t know. “This dream isn’t mine.”

“Selfish of me. Is there something else you’d rather substitute?”

“No…” She shook her head. “Why are...is this normal?” She didn’t feel anger at him. In fact, if this was the end maybe it was good to not be alone. In regular clothes he looked human, less like the monster who was drooling somewhere in her office over a stack of medical papers.

“Soulmates rarely die at the same time. So perhaps this is uncharted territory.” He was quiet a moment, nudging a flower with the toe of his sneakers. “Did you know, in all my years serving the Empire, today was the first time I’ve underestimated someone?”

“You scared the hell out of me,” She grumbled. He smirked. “But you knew that.”

“I often worried that the mate I’d find would be a mouse of a woman. Someone who’d cower before me.” He didn’t touch her, but his eyes scanned her body appraisingly. “I would’ve liked to know you. Not just what’s under those work clothes. You.”

Her clothing was hardly the last outfit she wanted. Closing her eyes, she pictured her favorite sundress. When she opened them, he was watching her intently.

“Polka dots…” He lightly touched the fabric. “You look so young. It takes the sharp edges away.”

She blushed, tipping back to lay in the foliage. He joined her. Dying really was the great equalizer. 

“Can I kiss you?”

She turned her head to him. “I’ve never been kissed,” she admitted. “The mark meant…”

“That you had to keep yourself pure.” He sighed. “I was less astute, sorry.”

There was silence for a minute. She wondered how much longer they had. Perhaps in death, minutes were hours. Her hand found his.

“Yes.”

He moved over her, his large body blocking the sky. The characteristics that had terrified her on their first meeting were now attractive instead of intimidating. Her freedom and the fight finished, she could embrace the thought of their bond. She studied his face, tracing her fingers lightly over his cheekbones and explored the thickness of his hair. He gave her a moment to enjoy the familiarity.

“What shampoo do you use?” She teased. He ignored her question and leaned in to kiss her.

He kissed her lightly at first, but it wasn’t enough for her. A clock was ticking. It was only a matter of time before one of their hearts stopped, and they both knew it. Her lack of experience didn’t matter. His mouth demanded the last of his life and energy. Her hands dragged him closer. He moved off her enough to remove his jacket, and she helped him with his shirt. Clothes scattered around them. Later, she would realize that they could’ve skipped that step.

She was bare-skinned before him. He stopped to look at her. His fingers trailed below her collarbone, working slowly down. “You are mine.” This time, it was less possessive and more in awe. “You will always be mine.”

“That’s a two-way road,” she threw back his words.

“Yes, say it then.”

“That you’re mine.” She wondered if it meant something to him at the end. “Does it matter to you?”

He smiled as if he’d won something.

He didn’t say anything else. He dipped his head to brush against her sternum and moved up till he took her mouth. He righted himself between her legs and pushed in. For a dream world, she'd hoped for pure pleasure, but it hurt. Not terrible pain, but an adjustment that made her clutch at his arm, trying to breathe through it.

“I should’ve prepared you better,” he breathed into her neck. “Next time…”

She wanted to tell him next time didn’t exist. 

For his part, he moved slow, giving her time to relax. She noticed the flecks of gold in his brown eyes as they watched her. One of his hands moved down, stroking her sensitive area until he saw her begin to react to his touch. His thumb drew circles around her clit. His rhythm slowed, allowing her own to build up. Soon it was her who moved trying to create more friction. He smiled, encouraging her to let go.

When she was almost there, he moved his hand away and grabbed her hips, thrusting almost to the point of pain. It took her over the edge, and she cried out when it broke. The finality of everything heightened her senses, and for one blissful moment she wished this wasn’t the end. He buried himself deep and found his relief. Pulling her into his arms, he clutched her close as if she’d disappear. Maybe she would soon. 

“Remember this,” he whispered close to her ear. “When you wake up.”

“I’m dying…”

He didn’t say anything. She felt a tug that itched at her skin and made the pleasure bleed out into a wash of coldness. “What’s happening.” Now she was afraid. “Kylo...is this it?”

“Shh...I kept it back as long as I could.” He leaned away his eyes almost apologetic. “Blockers don’t work once a bond has set.”

“But this isn’t real…” She struggled to stay. Struggled to keep the cold at bay. 

“Simultaneous near death can bind soulmates. Do you know how long I searched for you? I’ve read every article, researched every case of separated mates. And you thought to escape me? The blocker would’ve done that. Permanently. I couldn’t let that happen.” His fingers dug painfully into her skin as she tried to pull back. “Hux is keeping my heart pumping if he knows what’s good for him. I knew you’d succumb to the pill soon. And I knew our bond would allow me to find you here.”

Rey was horrified. This had all been a trap. “This can’t count.”

Kylo’s touch started to fade, losing its substance. “This makes it stronger.” He shook his head. “It’s too late to turn back. We belong to each other. Now wake up and come back to me.”

“Monster. I’m not giving you anything.” She spat.

He was almost gone.

“We’ll see.”

The voice was heartless. He would come for her. And for that moment, she'd gladly accepted death.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Kylo rubbed his chest absently. Years ago, he’d been walking through an apartment complex. His mission to apprehend a spy who’d infiltrated the Empire’s database. Troopers had cleared the building, or so he’d thought. He’d been young- high ranking, but young. Less cautious. He’d been in the living room and happened to glance up to see the man’s reflection in a vanity mirror a split second before he pulled the trigger. The shot had hit Kylo squarely in the chest as he’d turned into it. Fortunately for him, his breastplate took the brunt of the phaser fire. Unfortunately for the spy, he didn’t have similar armor or luck. 

He took another deep breath and winced. Point blank fire to the chest was barely a scratch compared to the deep pain of having one’s heart slowed down by drugs, and then shocked back to a normal rhythm. 

The relief on Armitage Hux’s face told him it had been no small feat to keep Kylo between life and death for thirty minutes. A crash cart had been by the gurney, the drawers open with bottles and syringes laying around haphazardly. The man’s red hair was matted to his forehead. His youthful glow was all but gone, replaced by a haggard appearance, as if the short span of time had extracted years from his life. 

_ Hux had won his favor. _

But Kylo doubted when he’d left the doctor, who’d been openly weeping, that the man’s tears had been in gratitude.

Kylo, at present was back on board his personal ship.

The girl was on the run. He didn’t know how far she’d get. A part of him reveled in the chase- to be allowed to hunt and claim her. To push every limit she possessed, and only when she’d been thoroughly defeated to hold out his hand to her. 

Tricking her had not caused him the slightest bit of remorse. Nor did he feel anger towards her for the years she had deceived him. He put his left hand on the clear glass panel and stared down at the city, knowing that she slept somewhere within its streets.

_ I’ve searched for you. And even though you did not know it, you, my muse, have led me on my path. In my search for you, I’ve found the truth. The way I will win. _

The Empire wasn’t thriving to its full potential. That’s why he needed the girl. Needed to set the bond. She had no idea what she’d unleashed, what gift she’d given him. He flexed his fingers on his left hand, felt the red ribbon that connected them. He couldn’t fully reach her. Not yet.

To start the hunt, he needed a location.

The keeper of such knowledge was his greatest enemy. He could not strike a blow hard enough. He could not order their execution, despite all intel that informed him of the countless acts of treason. And he could not wipe his heart from loving them.

He hit a button on the tables comm system. “Bring her to me.” He did not wait for a reply, but silenced the box. The conference room’s wide bay windows allowed him to see the city below. He kept his body angled to watch the door, wishing for the millionth time that this complication didn’t exist in his life.

There was a hiss and the main door slid open.

“Arresting your own mother?” Leia Organa tsked. She brushed off the arm of a guard who was trying to hold her elbow. At 5’4”, her weathered face and tired eyes often made her appear fragile. It was all an illusion: the fortitude she possessed made her nothing less than one of the top generals within the resistance. She paused at the threshold and studied the sterile room with a calculating eye. “If you wanted to visit, you could’ve just asked.”

“I fear family gatherings are beyond us.” He pulled out a chair for her. “Father has committed high treason. Nothing less than your full cooperation will be acceptable.” 

“Impressive little ship you have,” she said. “Does it come in red?”

“Sit.” He ignored the jab, pointing to the chair. “We have much to discuss.”

“I’d rather stand.”

He didn’t press the matter. Instead, he hit a button on the control board next to him. A 3D projection hovered in front of them. He’d watched it countless times in the last hour. His mother’s smart-lipped smile faltered when she saw two stormtroopers hauling a woman between them to the Millennium Falcon, his father’s transport. Which, Kylo had noticed, was also double parked in a handicap zone. The chaos of guards running into the building had kept them from being noticed or stopped.

“I don’t…” His mother peered at the screen and then back at him. “Your father needed a pacemaker. What is this?” Her expression was one of complete bewilderment.

“That is Father kidnapping my soulmate.” He hit the button and turned the screen off. 

“Your father is many things, but kidnapping a young woman is beneath him.” She took the proffered chair and bade him sit with her.  _ Always on her terms _ , he thought. He remained standing.  _ This was not a negotiation _ , he reminded himself. She would find that out soon. 

“I just want the girl. Tell me where he is.”

“How would I know? I’m clearly out of the loop,” she deflected, waving her hand as if shooing the question away. “Sorry, son.”

“You may not have been a part of this coup, but you know where he’d go.” 

Her eyes drifted to the window.  _ She knew. _ Her shoulders sagged, and her fingers fiddled with a necklace at her throat. He gave her a moment before stepping closer to her. “I’d rather not resort to unpleasant tactics to extract the information.” He hesitated, then added, “Mother.”

“Do you plan to torture me?” She smiled at him, as if he k lksssx were a still a little boy before her. “Will you have the stomach to watch?”

“Last chance, where is Han Solo?”

She rolled up her sleeves before crossing her arms. “Let’s get this over with.”

His smile held no warmth. He pushed the intercom button again. “Is the traitor Poe Dameron ready?’

“Yes Sir.”

His mother’s brown eyes flashed in anger. “Ben, what is this…?”

“You are right. I cannot kill you. Thank what little is left of my heart for that. But I have no attachment to the traitors you keep company with.”

“You think this will make me talk?”

Kylo hit another button, and suddenly the image of a man was before them. He was on his knees, face swollen and hands restrained behind him. Someone out of frame held a phaser to his head.

“He has a wife and child.” She rose from the chair, but he pushed her back down into it. 

“His son will be well taken care of. I’ve already found a loyal couple to take him in.”

“You can’t…” His mother’s eyes found his, searching for the boy she hadn’t realized had been sacrificed long ago. “Don’t do this.”

“I’ll be kind. I was going to give you one minute. I’ll give you two.” He hit the button. “Execute the prisoner on my command.”

“Your father would never have taken the girl without reason.” The general in her was back. This time it would not work. “What did you do?”

“This traitor has about enough time left in his life for me to order you a cup of coffee. Afterwards I’ll instruct them to bring the next prisoner. I can stomach the show. Can you?” He glanced at the hologram. “You like cream with your coffee?”

“Damn you,” she spat. “This isn’t you, Ben.”

“One minute.”

“The emperor has poisoned you.” She glanced at Poe. His eyes were closed. “Please, Ben.”

Playing on their maternal bond no longer worked. It hadn’t sense she’d traded her cause for the relationship with her young son. She’d abandoned him to the Academy. Allowing strangers to raise him. He should thank her, had she been a mother, maybe it would be him cowed before the executioner’s weapon awaiting death.

He hit the button. “Execu-”

“Jakku!” Leia slapped the table, tears in her eyes. “Now release him. Do what you will with me, but release the man and his family.”

He pressed a black button and the screen shut off.

“Already did the moment you arrived. The traitor Dameron is delivering a message to your resistance as we speak.” His voice was distant, cold. “Anyone assisting Han Solo or this Luke Skywalker will be executed for high treason. Anyone who aids the Empire in locating Rey Sky will find me in their debt. They may ask for wealth, complete forgiveness, and the release of any children or family members currently in correctional programs with the Republic.”

Her small mouth tried to stammer words. He should be proud- Leia Organa was rarely speechless.

“Don’t worry, the television in your quarter is only set to one channel.” He kissed the top of her head in a mocking show of affection. “How loyal do you think the parents with empty arms will be when they hear hope of getting their children back? Or the tired warriors who grow weary of your futile war?”

She rose from her seat, shaking in rage. “What happened to you?”

“So busy trying to win battle after battle.” His eyes shone with contempt. “When you lost me, you lost the war.”

He made to leave.

“Kylo Ren cannot love.” 

His mother called him back. Her fury had died all at once, leaving only pity. “I can no longer find my son in you. But perhaps this woman can.”

He paused before the door.  _ Let her have the last word. Let her have that.  _ He exited the room without looking back.

He ordered the guards to escort her to a secure room with all the comforts that belayed her prisoner status. He wondered if she’d sit and meditate or turn on the TV and watch the announcement.

Jakku was known to him. It was a hotspot district for the black market in Faction 10. Solo would know how to elude traffic stops and keep under the radar. But his father could not elude the bounty on his head. Everyone had their price. It was only a matter of time before someone gave them up.

In his chamber, Kylo disrobed. He needed a few hours of sleep. His body had tried to die today. Four would do. Closing his eyes, he focused, pushing on his mark. 

She appeared before him. Pale. So very pale it worried him. She was curled on a cot somewhere, or maybe a bed. Her body was tucked in as if trying to protect her core. If people only knew how powerful the bond was, how it could be manipulated.  _ He did. _ She was too deeply asleep to notice him yet. He put his arm around her and nestled his body protectively against her slender form, hoping he’d feel her when she woke.

“Sleep,” he whispered. “Tomorrow you run.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

There was warmth and protection next to her.

Instinctively, her body scooted towards it. The cocoon sought to envelope her, shifting to draw her closer, and in her groggy mind, she let it. Needed it. The aftereffects of the pills hadn’t yet left her system. She felt her head pound and her limbs weakly obey her commands. 

_ Did Luke bring BB-8? _ If so, the med droid could scan her and do a basic assessment of her vital signs. It also could do a rudimentary five lead-

_ Sleep. _

It didn’t sound like her thoughts. Her eyes tried to open.

_ “Sleep _ .” It wasn’t a thought; it was a command.

Her fingers grabbed the side of the twin bed mattress, hoping to roll away from him. There were crates and boxes around her, a small window above her head. She could see wisp of clouds, could feel the tremor of an engine propelling her forward. The smell of dust and fuel hung in the air. This was a lower-class ride. Kylo Ren wouldn’t have such common accommodations. But that was his arm around her. Which meant she hadn’t escaped. When she struggled, his fingers grasped her left wrist, pressing deeply into her mark.

_ Were Solo and Luke prisoners? _

He gave an irritated sigh, having read her thoughts. “You’ll be happy to know that I have no idea where those rebels you call friends are. Or you, for that matter. Not yet.”

“Then how are you here?” she whispered. “I know I’m not dead, so don’t try that bullshit again.”

He chuckled into her neck. “No. Our bond...it’s unique. Partly because of how it was established.”

“So you’re here and not here.” Her mind desperately tried to wrap around the impossible. Bonds didn’t work this way. At least, she didn’t think they did. “What’s the other part?”

“A secret I’ll divulge later. I’d rather keep my advantage till you’re home.”

Rey tried once more to budge, but he had no intention of letting go. “You’re lucky I don’t have another syringe.”

“Sadly, the effects were reversed quite quickly by your coworker Hux.”

She wrinkled her brow. “But there was truth to  _ some _ of that dream. I don’t think you could’ve reached me without being in mortal peril.”

“A self-induced one. I’m not sure of the cocktail.” He shrugged. “Wouldn’t recommend it. I had to be hit twice in the chest.”

“You put yourself in bradycardia, and then developed a shockable rhythm?” She had slipped into the tone usually reserved for patients who downloaded medical logs and self-medicated themselves. “What were you thinking?” 

“Is this the _ pot _ calling the _ kettle _ black?  _ You _ took a  _ blocker _ pill. With a  _ twenty-five _ percent chance of  _ death _ ,” he reminded her. 

She couldn’t help herself she rolled towards him. She found him in a state of undress: shirtless, with silk boxer shorts. “Couldn’t you put a cowl on or something?” she muttered. He gave her a smile meant to charm, but she was too busy looking at his broad chest.

“I don’t think were quite up to it... yet,” he teased. “If you want later this evening, we-”

“Shut up” 

“Excuse me?”

Apparently very few people told the Supreme Leader to zip it. She didn’t care. Her fingers trailed down his bare skin. She looked at the red marks where pads had been applied. “How’s your heart rate been? Any dizziness?” She traced the areas of bruising between the sternum and diaphragm, palpating it and watching as he grimaced. She placed her ear to his chest. “Take a deep breath.” He did. It wasn’t even close to what a stethoscope would do, but nothing obvious. The discoloration was clearly handprints.  _ Does he even know how close he’d come to dying? _

She drew a circle around the forming bruise. “Manual chest compressions. Lucky he didn’t break a rib.”

“Hux didn’t say anything about that.”

“At med school we don’t study how to ‘almost kill people’. I’m pretty sure he was just winging it.” She huffed. “You need an EKG, for starters. Then a troponin to check for heart damage, and maybe throw in a chemistry to see if anything else might be out of whack. Urine sample to check your kidney functions, and-”

He kissed her. His lips warm. Even as she clamped hers shut. His fingers drifted down her cheekbone before he broke away. “I’ll be fine.” 

“Don’t flatter yourself. What affects you, affects me.”

“We need sleep.”

His dark eyes had even darker shadows under them. Chances were she had matching shadows under hers. From a clinical standpoint, she’d of admitted them both for observations in the ICU. Sleep, yes, her body was all but demanding it. However, closing her eyes meant that Kylo would have time to hunt for her. The aircraft hit a patch of turbulence, making the small makeshift room rumble slightly. 

What she needed was time.

“I’ll stay in bed as long as you do.” She even tried to put a hand on his hip and snuggle closer.

“Don’t ever play cards,” hesnorted. 

She removed her hand and made to get up. He gently stopped her. 

“You may not believe it, but I do care about your safety and well-being. For more reasons than that it is tied to mine.” He must have seen her disbelief, for he continued. “It wasn’t a lie when I said I wanted to know you.”

She laughed. Hard. “You are a fucking bastard.” She covered her mouth, trying to hold the dark giggles in. His expression so wary that it only made her want to laugh more. “What you want to _ know  _ is the superficial. What’s my favorite color? Blue. What’s my favorite dessert? Angel Food cake. What book do I read? She laughed harder until they hiccupped into sobs.

“I’m a doctor. I had a life. You know that.? A god-damn life. I worked hard for it. Do you know what it takes to make it into med school as a woman? To be accepted into cardiology? No, you fucking don’t. You didn’t have to make grades so undeniably perfect they’d have to accept you. Being told over and over, that it was pointless, that as soon as the match was made, my husband would pull me from the program.” 

She couldn’t hide the vehemence. Maybe he’d understand better if she didn’t. 

“You care about me? Did you know they make kids take pills to forget their previous life? I don’t even remember my parents. Your Empire forced me to live with a man who thought “Rey” was a boy’s name and had accepted the adoption thinking he was getting a son. Do you know how often he beat me? Took food away for the slightest infraction?”

“But I couldn’t run away or I’d be put into a correctional program. So I just grit my teeth and survived. And when I found a way to hide my fingerprints, I did. Because the Empire had already taken everything from me...and I could have this. And now you...you say, “I want to know you.” Like that should mean something to me.”

“Rey.” 

He touched her gently, hushing her as her shoulders shuddered violently. She just kept babbling…”I’m a doctor,” as if this would convey to him her individuality, tell him why she had to run. Why she’d fight biology and the cruel demands of the bond. 

After a while, he tipped her chin, willing her to look at him. “Let us say no more. I cannot assuage your fears, nor would you believe me if I tried.” His fingers drifted to push hair out of her face, his thumb wiping away the wetness from under her eyes. “Sleep with me. Nothing more. We neither hunt nor run, let our ships take us where they will. When we wake, we can set the board and move the pieces till one of us should win.”

She nodded. The tears had sapped the last of her energy. 

It was so hard to keep focus on him. He stroked her hair. She knew it was the bond that fooled her into accepting him, even now. Her hand came out and touched his left wrist pressing the mark against her own, meeting his eyes. “Please.” He could hear her thoughts. He could hear her desperation that echoed within the barest part of her soul.

He regarded her for a moment. Then shook his head, no. She closed her eyes, promising herself that she would never beg again. She’d have to win her freedom. He kissed her forehead. 

She wanted to tell him not to touch her. But instead she placed her arm around his waist. Perhaps the idea of keeping your enemies close would hold true here. If Kylo left, she’d know. His chest rose and fell. She allowed herself to believe the sound reason. For a few short hours, they held each other to equally enforce the truce. 

She slept.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ***ps...sorry I made a blunder. I fixed it. (Last line of this) and Chapter One (who Leia was visiting in Australia). Writing in the dark tag so plot is really fluid. Hopefully a one time oops. Tired writer who is drinking coffee and hoping reader forgives her. ***

**Chapter Five**

The oatmeal crunched in her mouth. Rey tried not to think about how old it could be as she swallowed. In fact, she tried not to look at the food served in a dinged-up silver mug at all. Solo ate all his breakfast without hesitation, and then poured himself another helping from a kettle. He didn’t return to sit with her at the small table. Instead, he opened a drawer and drew out two packs of sugar.

“Here, put this in it. Might help.” He ripped the packet open and poured them in her gruel. She took another bite and gave him a big grin. “Alright, alright...don’t over-act. I know it tastes like shit.” 

Luke had a tablet in his hand. He’d all but ignored them since they started their meal. He muttered a few times, but for the most part kept to himself.

Solo took back her dishes a few minutes later. When he saw her rub her arms, he pulled his brown jacket off. “Wear this. I’ll get you something better to wear tonight.”

“Thank you.” Her wardrobe currently consisted of a white tank-top and a pair of (hopefully) fresh large sweatpants. Luke had told her she’d seized when they’d brought her aboard the ship. They’d stripped off her soiled clothes and done their best to clean her up before putting her to bed.

Using a rubber band, she braided her hair and looked around. Wires had been jerry-rigged with bolts and zip-ties to the ceiling. It hadn’t taken more than a cursory sweep to know that Solo’s stated profession as a carpenter was just a front. The man was a smuggler. There was a faded copper radio that buzzed with transmissions from the Empire. There was also a rudimentary cloaking shield that BB-8 had had to attend to during the descent into Jakku. Sparks had flown twice, and the small droid had let out a slew of beeps that had made Solo snap  _ “the Falcon will hold, thank you. _ ” 

She pulled the jacket closer, zipping it up and tucking her chin inside it. It smelled like diesel fuel and aftershave. It was a comforting smell. With the ship turned off to conserve energy, the internal temperature had dropped rapidly. She couldn’t see her breath, but with another ten degree drop, she might.

“What’s the plan?” She looked between Luke and Solo.

“Waiting for a contact,” Solo said and tried to fiddle with a wall panel. It sparked at his fingers. “Piece-of-sh..” 

BB-8 beeped. 

Solo glared at him. “That’s different. I can insult her. We have history.”

BB-8 watched on. C-3P0 joined them. He’d been charging for the last few hours and now having returned threw up his hands. “My rejuvenation platform at home didn’t require me to stand on a box of ion fuse adapters just to reach the plug in.” He shook his head. “I don’t see how this day could get any worse.”

Rey supposed that for a droid who’d spent his life helping dictate Luke’s office and surgery notes, this would be a terrible breakdown or sorts. She scooted out of her seat and went to him, patting his arm. “Would you like to leave? We’re in awful trouble, and you don’t need to get muddled in it.”

C-3PO clicked “Oh dear” a few times. 

BB-8 rolled by and beeped, making the humanoid droid look down at it.

“Of course you’d stay. Probably the best job a rolling ball like you could get.” C-3PO shook its head. “I can’t leave you, you’ll be malfunctioning within a day, you nearsighted scrap pile.” C-3PO turned to look at Rey. “I’m not sure I trust the driver of this ship. Do you know the things on this aircraft appear to be stolen?”

She gave the machine a hug. “I think we have bigger problems than that.”

Solo glared at the C-3P0 wiping his hands off on a rag. “Hey Med Droid, you want me to polish your gold ass, or can you lend me a hand?” Solo grabbed a toolbox on the floor. “We need to check out all the plating on the portside.” 

“I beg your pardon, I have state of the art upgrades that are top notch, thanks to Master Luke.”

“Can they help me fix a fissure in titanium?”

“No.”

“Do you have a flashlight?”

The droid sighed. “Yes.”

“Alright, then let's get to work.”

Solo led the way, and the two bots followed. “All my potential and I’m reduced to being a lamp,” C-3P0 said dejectedly.

“Lamps don’t talk,” Solo grumbled. 

Luke watched the trio leave, finally putting the tablet down. 

Rey grabbed a container that had a white sticker labeling it coffee grounds, pouring it directly into a pot of water. Taste aside, she needed the caffeine. “It’s weird not having a schedule,” she mused. “No patients, no one to round on. I even miss dictating notes. maybe if I’m gone long enough I’ll miss going to lect-”

“Who were you talking last night?”

Luke wasn’t angry. She’d known him long enough to read his moods. This wasn’t a question. But he waited for her to confirm it anyway. Rubbing her hands together she took a minute to formulate a reply. “I-I don’t know where to start.”

“How about somewhere after hitting the Supreme Leader with ketamine, and tell me how you got to having a one-sided conversation with him in the cabin.”

She told him everything as she boiled coffee on a crude one burner stove. As much as she’d wanted to, she kept nothing out: the dream, how Kylo had tricked her. And after, how she’d awoken to find him lying beside her.

“Kylo was able to not only talk to you this morning, but hold you?”

She nodded.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No, we just talked,” she assured him. “But when I woke...His hold on me seemed weakened. I don’t think he could’ve stayed much longer.” 

Luke’s fingers drummed the table as he thought. There was something off. Something that wasn’t right about the way Luke had just accepted the information. 

“Why did you tell me to go home?”

Luke didn’t look up, his eyes fixed firmly on an invisible point on the table. 

For the first time she found herself questioning their relationship. Not just questioning it but looking at it through a different lens. 

Her first day of being a resident. The lead cardiologist announcing she was to be under his direction. Effectively taking her under his wing.

Luke, who made sure she advanced. 

Luke, who’d made sure to integrate himself in every fiber of her career- and if she was honest, even in her personal life. He was practically a father figure. 

Luke, whose shadow and mentorships she’d just accepted up until now. 

“Did you know Kylo Ren was my soulmate?”

When he finally looked at her, she knew. “Why…why would you hide this from me?”

“Rey, there are things you don’t understand.”

She felt sick. Luke scooted out of the booth and made to approach her.

“Don’t you fucking come near me.” Her fingers gripped the counter.  _ Was everyone going to betray her? “ _ Tell me why I should trust you.”

“I’m not the enemy, so stop acting like that,” he reprimanded her. “I just saved your ass, so you can drop the indignation. Frankly, I don’t give a shit if you’re pissed at me.”

There was spout of steam coming from the stovetop. Luke pointed to it. “Coffee smells good. Let’s talk.” He moved past her and grabbed the now-boiling can. He poured her a drink and then one for himself. He didn’t look ashamed or guilty. Instead, he motioned for her to follow him to the cockpit area and have a seat.

She’d never flown before: traveling would require too much documentation. The dials and switches were alien to her as she looked around. A pair of gold dice hung above the pilot seat. She touched them, wondering if they were for luck. 

Luke shifted in his seat and put his feet up on the dash. Settled, he started his story.

“My parents were the first soulmates. The Empire had not yet established itself. Faction 10, where we are now, was still Virginia.” He took a sip of his coffee and looked through the glass window. “Humanity showed such great promise. We’d made contact with other species in the universe, set up a colony on the Moon, and even had plans to expand to Mars.”

“The age of Interstellar,” Rey said.

“Could’ve been the best years for mankind.” Luke’s said sadly. “But war came with the decline of births. And my mother became pregnant. My father…” His voice trailed off. “My mother begged him to not follow the dark path he was on.”

“He joined the Empire?” Rey guessed.

“My mother died birthing twins.” 

“I’m sorry. You lost both parents.”

“No.”

“But the soulbond…” Rey trailed off, puzzled.

“My father believed that his wife died and his children with her. My twin and I were split up: my sister to live where the Resistance was strong, my adoptive parents within one of the Factions. For years, I was left in the dark. Until one day, my father told me that he and my mom were not my parents, but my aunt and uncle.”

“Why did they keep you apart? Why even tell you?”

“My sister was born with the mark. To keep her safe, they kept her within countries that did not allow forced marriages and other such barbaric practices.”

“I don’t see what this has to do with me.” Rey watched as Solo walked outside the ship towards the front of the garage and waved at them. BB-8 rolled next to him, but C-3PO was nowhere to be seen. 

“I’m getting there,” Luke grumbled. He gave an annoyed sigh when he saw Solo turn his back to take a piss. “He could try to find a place out of sight. How she ever found him…”

“Who?”

“My sister.”

“Wait, Han Solo is your brother-in-law?”

“You wanted to know why I wasn’t surprised. Why I know it’s possible for my nephew to do these things.”

The coffee cup shook in her hand so badly that Luke took it before she burned herself. Rey felt like Alice: having fallen down the rabbit hole, she kept coming to new puzzles. Each answer was more and more bizarre. 

As if reading her mind, Luke paused. “This too much? I can stop for now.”

“Yes, but tell me anyway.” 

“The soul bond is more than a freak accident of nature. Much more. I’ve devoted my life to learning the biological components of it. I masked it under my studies of medicine. But doing so I’ve learned truths to a family mystery.”

“This has to do with your father,” she whispered.

He nodded. “My father, Kylo’s grandfather, was able to do the impossible.”

“What?” An icy finger crept up her spine, making her shiver. 

“Live.”

“He’s still alive?”

Luke reached across and took her hand, as if to steel her for the worst of his truths. Even so she could never have been prepared.

“Rey, my father is the Emperor.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *** If you're one of the few who clicked on last chapter before I caught the error. Please re-read the last line of Chapter 5. Thank you guys for all the comments and kudos. They mean so much too me.***

**Chapter Six**

_ This was a terrible idea. _

Rey bit her lip and tried to stay in the back. This wouldn’t work if she panicked. 

_ Breathe _ . 

The might of the Empire had appeared over the sky before lunchtime. She’d stepped outside the garage to see a Star Destroyer, whose circumference had been monstrous enough to cool the outside temperature and cast the afternoon into shadow.

These might be her last hours of freedom. The guards had swarmed the district like locusts, and every avenue for escape had been cut off. Somehow, Kylo had guessed Jakku. The display in the heavens was overkill, a lesson for her alone to see what he was capable of. 

Which was when Solo had come up with a plan.

The first move was contact. Rey shifted in her shoes. Waiting. Knowing Kylo would use their bond to talk to her. He’d be diplomatic; he’d want as little firefight as possible, probably prepared to offer her acceptable terms of surrender. 

_ Breathe. _

She centered herself.  _ He’s arrogant and he thinks the day won. Use it. _ The next breath came easier, and the next.

Her wrist tingled. It was her one warning before he appeared.

Kylo was dressed in full military regale, complete with a red sash. His face had lost its paleness and his dark eyes no longer had a hollow look. He was in his element. Even the way he stood was meant to call attention to his physique. Rey wanted to tell him he looked like a peacock with all his feathers out. 

Too bad she’d come dressed for the occasion as well.

The first small victory was seeing his cocky smile (and no doubt cockier speech) wiped off his lips in the first seconds of their reunion. A garbled sound burst from his throat: probably her name, or maybe surrender. All that came out was a choking wheeze that he tried to cover with a cough. 

Her left hand moved behind her back. Now that she’d derailed him from his egotistical monologue, she righted her shoulders and offered him her own cocky smile.

To her chagrin, he recovered quickly. The shock over, he studied her. Every inch of her for that matter. The faintest grin tugged at the corners of his mouth and when his eyes met hers, they held nothing but desire. “Are you hoping to distract me?” 

This was the tricky part. She could tell him every bone, muscle and ligament in the human body, but that didn’t mean she knew how to use them to seduce, flirt or even strike a pose. Instead she put her hands on her hips and hoped her assets spoke for themselves. 

_ Kriffing moons. Ph.D and I’m reduced to this. A brass brassiere and a matching g-string, The outfit of a high-class stripper. _

She hoped Kylo was enjoying the show. If everything went perfectly, it be the last image he’d have of her _. What to say? “By the way, our sashes match. Looks like we both picked red, except yours isn’t see through and connected to your panties _ .”

He closed the distance. A gloved hand tilted her chin up. She thought he meant to kiss her, but his lips brushed her ear instead. 

“It is working,” he purred. “I am thoroughly distracted.”

The ground beneath her shook. She steadied herself. He drew back and let out an irritated sigh. “You’re on a ship, aren’t you?” When she didn’t answer, he tsked. “This will be ending shortly.”

He stepped away- not much, but enough for her to understand that he was responding to a message. His tousled raven hair lifted in the breeze. It was a good sign: it meant he was on land.

His fingers gripped her forearm, but he kept his touch away from her mark. “Keep your secret.” His voice was sweet as honey. “It’ll allow you to keep at least one thing hidden.”

She jerked herself free and he laughed. “A for effort. In fact, I’m feeling so generous that you can ask me anything and I’ll grant it, right now.”

When her mouth opened he added “Within reason, of course. A homecoming gift to show you I harbor no ill will.”

“You’re pretty sure of yourself. What if I avoid capture? Will you still grant it?”

“My troops have already located you.” He studied her state of undress. “Though, I think now, I’ll be on my way to collect you personally.” 

“W-wait,” she stammered. “A-aren’t you going to kiss me goodbye? Might be your last chance.”

“I’m surrounded by armed guards. I don’t mean to be rude, but it might look rather odd, from their standpoint.” He brushed her lips with the pad of his thumb. “Let me give them all my attention tonight.”

_ “If  _ you find me tonight. I’ll let you. Promise. You won’t even have to trick me,” she challenged. 

“Stalling?” Smirking, he meant to move away.

She grabbed the collar of his tunic, lifting onto her tiptoes to kiss him. He stilled, and then his arms were around, her drawing her close.  _ It was tactical, _ she told herself. The warmth that pooled in her stomach was not. 

He broke the kiss gently, albeit reluctantly. “Enough. I’ll see-”

“Do I still get my wish, even if I win?” She shivered. His warmth not enough to stave off the cold. 

He took his cloak off. The gesture probably wasn’t thought through, as he draped it around her. But she could feel the weight of it on her skin, and it did help. Another anomaly in their bond, she’d thought it would’ve dropped to the floor.

“If it makes you happy to hope, yes. What is it, and then I must go.”

“Free Leia Organa,” and then she added quickly. “With safe passage back to Australia.”

“The war criminal?”

“Your mother.”

He sighed. “Fine. Though it will mean banishment. I cannot just let her go without some punishment.”

The floor underneath her jolted. Kylo caught her before she fell. 

“Shit.” She glanced over her shoulder at her companions. “What was that?” 

“That would be my cue to leave.” He stepped away, giving her a parting bow of goodbye.

“Time to come home, Rey.”

With that, he was gone.

Now she was just staring at the inside of a docking station. Someone cleared their throat. Turning she found an audience watching her. 

_________

Kylo could still taste her on his lips. The chase was over. A contact within the resistance had assured him of her location. Their escape plan had been almost laughable. Maybe they’d thought it so outlandish, it would work. 

_ Han Solo had concocted it, no doubt. _

The rebels had taken her to a nightclub that drifted between the two Factions, a floating establishment that picked up patrons as it went. They’d planned to smuggle her on board, reach a port in Faction 9, and contact a spy who specialized in underground transport. 

The costume was on his mind as he crossed the miles in his personal tye-wing fighter. She’d looked so different, and that had probably been the point. The news had flashed pictures of a conservatively dressed woman; someone who’d take your blood pressure, not raise it. That part of their doomed plan had been solid. People tended to see what they wanted to.

The glittery lights of “The Mos Pit,” a casino and nightclub came into his sites. He didn’t bother hitting the comm button, they knew his vessel. His mood was in such good spirits, he didn’t protest when instead of allowing him to freely dock, the aircraft was locked in, making his controls switch from manual to auto pilot. 

His comm blinked red. He opened the channel. “Speak.”

“We have her, sir.”

“Don’t lay a hand on her till I arrive.”

“The owner bade us keep her in the bridal suite.” There was a pause. “Do you want us to give her clothes?”

“What do you think?” He smiled, flipping it off. 

____________

Rey wrapped the cloak around her. “He’s on his way.” She was unsure what it meant that the garment had crossed the bond and stayed with her. Solo had arched a brow looking at it.

“We don’t have to split up.” Solo gripped her shoulders.

She looked down at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. 

He let go and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t care what Lando says, this part of the plan…”

Lando, the contact who’d met them early that afternoon, was checking his phaser. Seeing it was in order, he returned it to his belt before giving Solo his full attention. “You’re a damn fool if you think we have options. He won’t hurt the girl. So let's not kid ourselves whose in danger.” 

Lando, a black man in his fifties, was dressed in finely threaded clothes. His thick hair was graying, but he possessed bright eyes that made him look younger. He’d cussed out Solo on their first meeting and then shook Rey’s hand, welcoming her to the resistance.

Rey stepped between them. “It’s okay, I-I can do this. I put this outfit on, didn’t I? Pretty sure the rest is going to be easy,” she tried to joke.

Lando saw past her bravado to her nervousness. “You’re a brave thing.” He took her hand and kissed it lightly. “You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong here among the clouds.”

“Thank-you.”

“Why don’t I ever get compliments like that?” Solo grumbled. “You know my vest matches my eyes.”

“Old friend, the only thing your eyes match is the pile of shi--”

“I can’t go through with it!”

C-3PO chirped loudly as he stood up from his sitting position. “Honestly, how can we even consider this a plan? I’ve calculated the number of things that could go wrong, and my calculations lead us somewhere between 1 to 400 thous-”

“Don’t tell me the odds.” Solo wrapped an arm around the droid. “We give up and they wipe your hard-drive. You don’t want your next owner being some medical twat who’ll never be half as much fun as me.”

“Fun is an odd choice sir. Not one I’d use. And this task I’m assigned...the odds of that particular job working are…”

“You keep talking and I’ll show you odds of learning to fly out an airlock.” Solo took C-3P0 by the arm. “Come on, let’s go.” 

“Oh dear…”

Solo waved a finger in the droid’s face. “And for the love of God, just keep your mouth shut. Not one word. You’ll give the whole damn thing away.” Solo steered the droid past them to disappear through a side door.

Lando went over to BB-8; having added a few updates, he gave the bot one last check. “It’ll be okay. Han just hates putting you in danger. Plus, his wife is being held prisoner.”

“Kylo promised to relea-”

Lando held a hand up. “Maybe Kylo will, maybe Kylo won’t. And _ maybe _ it won’t even be in his power to make good on it.”

“But Kylo is the Sup..”

“The Emperor will take over soon. If he thinks you could turn his prodigy-”

“I can’t. I don’t even like him.”

He gave her a once over. “I may have only seen one side of that kiss, but I’ve lived long enough to know you weren't acting.”

“The bond…”

“I’m not married to my soul mate. She’s a bitch. A kick-your-ass gunner, but a bitch. We speak about once a year. No flame, not even enough of a spark to make me want to pay for dinner. She's happily living in England with her wife.” He shrugged. “Maybe it helps, but it doesn’t control you.”

She didn’t reply. She wasn’t ready to look too deeply at it. 

He put a hand on her shoulder. “You ready?”

She nodded, even though her heart was pounding in her chest.

_____________

The smell of smoke clung to the air as he moved through the casino. White uniforms of guards contrasted with the colorful gaiety of the customers and workers as they waited in collective silence. A richly dressed socialite with too much make-up on giggled and pointed at him. Her eyes glazed, she attempted to walk towards him. A nearby waiter grabbed the woman’s elbow and shoved her back into the arms of her companion, who tried to catch her before she tumbled to the ground. 

Slots and tables dinged, but no one dared play the games. He left the main floor and walked down a dimmed hallway. These were the guest rooms. At the end, Kylo found an opaque pearl door, the last barrier to the bridal suite. He paused in front of it, knowing two guards were instructed to stand inside.

_ How to approach this?  _ Yes, she’d lost. Smugness wouldn’t win her over, and weakness wouldn’t do. It would come off as condescending if he tried to fake pity.  _ Relationships. _ They existed outside his comfort zone of complete order, and even now made him feel oddly self-conscious. A skin he was not used to wearing.

He opened the door.

Rey lay on her side in a four-poster bed large enough to fit ten guests. Silk gossamer curtains shimmered, connected between each bedpost, the fabric meant to create a sensual atmosphere for those who crawled under the covers. It was transparent enough to clearly view the woman. A med droid, maybe the BB-8 she’d referred to earlier, was on the floor, close enough for her to touch. 

_ It might not be a bad thing that she’d brought it. _ He mused. He could suggest the droid give her a contraceptive shot. He wasn’t in a hurry for children. He’d prefer his soulmate to like him as a person first, before she made him a father. 

A crystal chandelier hung on the ceiling, and two plush rugs from exotic animals decorated the floor. The penthouse suite lacked nothing: everything was bold and over the top, making the girl stand out like a wild rose in an artificial world. 

He noticed one of the guards holding his cloak. So it  _ had _ crossed the bond.  _ How odd _ . 

He excused the two from their watch, but not before stopping one and telling him to bring back champagne on ice with the chef’s best dinner and dessert. The med droid didn’t follow. Kylo decided to let it stay for a few more minutes anyway. 

She’d rolled her face into the pillow. He tried not to show his disappointment at her response. He’d expected anger, tears maybe, but silence...he’d felt they were beyond that. Deciding to make her aware of him without being threatening, he removed his gloves, and then sash, sitting down as he started on his boots.

“I know, this wasn’t the outcome you’d been hoping for.” He tried to keep his voice even. “I expect there to be a time of acclimation between us. You may even have your own room at our estate.”

Silence. 

‘In a month or two, after we’ve established our relationship, we could talk about your return to work.” He’d offered an olive branch hoping to get a response. Perhaps she needed a bit more. “Even after children, I wouldn’t be opposed to a nanny.”

He’d tugged both boots off. While coupling would’ve been nice, he had no plans to force her into the act. However, he was not gentlemen enough to sleep on the floor tonight. 

He wracked his brain for a better tactic.  _ Should he tell her how lovely she looked? That he’d sat in the cockpit of his fighter jet, trying to figure out why it wouldn’t respond to him, before realizing he hadn’t palmed in his identity? That he’d gone against his generals and given her the day to play ‘escape’ just so he could let her feel she’d tried? _

He moved to the bed. “Rey...at least look at me.”

Silence

He huffed, not willing to play this childish game. “I’m going to find you a robe in the bathroom. When I get back, I expect you to sit up and talk to me.”

Kylo didn’t find a robe. Instead, he found two unconscious guards stripped of clothing, lying back in the tub with their arms dangling over the rim, as if enjoying the accommodations.

Damn.

He rushed back to the bed. She was still there, but now looking at her closely, her form appeared too still. He reached through the curtain and touched her shoulder.

She turned to look at him. “Oh dear,” a mechanical voice said. “Oh dear, oh dear oh dear.”

There was a beep and a click. The hologram that been cast over the still form disappeared, and now Kylo was staring at a gold-plated droid in Rey’s costume. 

Which meant- 

He looked at the door where the two troopers had been. 

“KRIFF!”

___________

She threw the trooper helmet off the moment she climbed into the tye-fighter. People didn’t question you when you held the Supreme Leader’s cloak. Solo could manually control the aircraft until she was in the air. 

The crux came after.

Solo teaching 101, had given her a crash course in flying that had made her head spin. Lucky for her, her doctorate came in handy, with the ability to compartmentalize a huge amount of information and retain it in a time of crisis.

_ Where’s the keypad? _ She searched for it frantically, until she saw the dull glowing screen blinking at her, waiting for authorization. There was heart-stopping second after she palmed it where it turned red, before switching to green. If Kylo managed to get his fighter jet back, he’d no doubt update his security measures to avoid the duplicity of their prints.

Solo, now having access to the controls from the docking bay, made the interior light up. She fastened the harness around her. They’d been out of the suite in less than five minutes, and she’d calculated if everything went well, they could hope for ten minutes before discovery.

A red button flashed. She hit it, and Solo’s voice came over. “Alright kid. Traveling through hyperspace ain’t like dusting crops. Without precise calculations, you could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova.”

“Is this supposed to encourage me?”

“No, but hopefully scare you enough not to press any buttons in panic. Stick to the basics of what I told you. You’ll be above Earth’s atmosphere in less than twenty minutes and it's going to do a number on your brain. After that punch in the coordinates. The Empire doesn't have jurisdiction once you’re within landing distance of Ohma-D’un. Not going to lie kid, there’re enough thieves, pirates, and criminals on the moon colony to rival the ones on Earth. Luke Skywalker’s already headed that way, and he’ll find a way to establish contact with you. Put the mask on and keep it on, unless there’s no other choice.”

The ship started to rumble out. 

“Good luck, kid.”

“Are you going to try to break the Falcon out?” She watched the bay doors of the port open. The blue sky slowly appearing as the metal barrier parted.

“Nah, going to wait right here. Me and Ben will catch up. Maybe grab a beer.”

“I can’t leave you...he’ll arrest you. Maybe more.”

“Don’t worry. If I get thrown in a cell, I’ll have excellent company.”

The thrusters inside rumbled so powerfully that she bit her lip to stifle a scream.

“Gotta save my own princess,” he chuckled.

Space travel required everything the ship had, and she felt the heart of it gear up to launch. Her own heart wasn’t beating it was hammering. She pressed a hand to over it, trying to calm herself. “I-I’m afraid…”

“It’s gonna be okay.” His voice kind. “Just close your eyes and enjoy the ride. I hear the stars are the prettiest part.”

He might have said more, but at that moment the tye-fighter burst into the air. Her body was pinned against the plush pilot seat backing.

Fire started licking around the wings as it gained momentum. The horizon rushed towards her. She started screaming, unable to contain her fear. She didn’t even realize she was calling Kylo’s name.


	7. Chapter 7

When Kylo had pictured Rey screaming his name, with him on his knees bent down in concentration, he’d been picturing something quite different than what he was doing now.

His fingers dug into his mark. She was too far away from him to conjure up her image. But he could still access her emotional state--which was sheer panic. After being deceived he’d run out into the hallway to pursue her, grabbing her wrist, only to be instantly overwhelmed. His sprint had turned into a stagger. The nearby storm troopers surrounded him. His top general, Wilheim Tarkin, had even checked his body for a wound. 

His teeth gritted a “Fine” before he’d sunk down on one knee. His anger at her gone. Everything including cognitive thought, had been replaced by her white terror. Focusing, he closed his eyes and shut out the world around him.

Her heart was thumping. So hard it was making his own hurt.  _ Control. _ That’s what he was good at, and right now, he had to take over. His pulse slowed. Her heartbeat now echoed in his ears, and he listened to it; wondering at the simplistic song of life within each beat. 

_ “Quiet.”  _ He allowed his pulse to become hers.  _ “It’s going to be okay.” _

His own lungs burned as she took a deep breath. 

“ _ That’s it. Good girl.”  _ The burning in his lungs subsided. _ “Keep it up, you can do this.” _

The jack-hammering beats began to settle. It was intimate. His heartbeat, her breath. Allowing him to take over. She was in his body, and he in hers. 

_ “You’re okay. It’s going to be okay. I promise.” _

For a minute they mirrored each other, breathing in tandem, the fear gone. 

She was calm.

“Thank you…” Her words a quiet echo. She was so far away now.

_ “Don’t get too comfortable, someone did make me a promise, about tonight.”  _ He reminded her and felt the thin threads of their bond snap.

“Have to find me firs-”

And then it was gone. A void where she should be.

Kylo had accepted the fact that his death was tied to another’s. From an outsider's perspective he’d imagined the biological components of the body would simply shut down. The truth was crueler. Every cell in his body reacted to her absence. Threatening to tear from him a scream to rival hers.

It was a wretched helpless feeling. Internally he struggled to even understand it, until at last he realized the emotion for what it was.  _ Grief. _ There was a tickle in his throat, and he realized if he didn’t get himself together the surrounding guards and general were going to see the unspeakable. 

And he hadn’t done that degrading act in twenty years.  _ Ben would weep.  _ The boy he’d killed. The boy who’d clung to his mother’s hand begging at the Academy. _ “I’ll be good, I’ll stay out of the way, please…” _

The ‘please’ echoed in his mind now as he stood up. Thinking of Rey’s ‘please’. He had hated it then. It had made him - for a second - want to give her everything. Become Ben Solo. His mother had said Kylo Ren couldn’t love. Yet, his heart had beat for Rey’s and that was enough for him. 

“How did the girl escape?”

The guards looked at each. Even with generic masks on, it was easy to read their mood. No one wanted to volunteer until Tarkin gave a snort.

“In the fastest ship she could find. Yours.”

_ Well that was unfortunate...for many reasons.  _ “Tracking?” The guards shuffled their feet. “General direction?”

“Up,” Tarkin’s dry voice said in exasperation. “If you’d have listened to me, this would never have happened.”

“Have any of the rebels been captured?”

“Only one. And I don’t think we captured him so much as found him waiting for us, after he bought a round for the house under your name.”

“Han Solo”

“Your father.” Tarkin’s voice reminded him, using it as a reprimand. 

“Freeze him.”

“Are you sure? The Emperor has never questioned your...leniency.” Tarkin side-stepped using, “blind-eye.”

“It is better than the execution he deserves. Free Leia Organa. Allow her safe passage to Australia, with the understanding if she returns she’ll sit in a carbonite prison next to his.”

“As you say Supreme Leader.”

A guard, with a red cape signifying her a high standing office, stepped forward. “The droids, Sir?”

Tarkin spoke up, “Phasma, take them to intel. They can decode them for anything useful. After they can repurpose them; or use them for parts.” Tarkin shrugged dismissively.

“No.” Kylo countered. He’d almost ordered their destruction, but Rey had an affinity for them. “I’ll have them reprogrammed later. Take them to my estate. Put them in sleep mode until my return with the girl.”

Phasma nodded and saluted before departing.

He looked over his shoulder at Tarkin. “What transport did you arrive in?”

General Tarkin was a skinny elderly man with a bony face. When hearing the question, and knowing Kylo meant to take his polished rig, his mouth puckered in as if he’d bit into a lemon.

“I’m rather attached to it, Supreme Leader.” He sneered. “I’ll transfer authorization to you, of course. Retinal scan, perhaps? I’d hate for there to be another embarrassment.”

Kylo stilled. His face showed nothing, but his voice was ice. “The two guards present in my soulmate’s room were hand selected by you. The best officers you possessed. - I’d hate to think you just picked some random street soldier from the fleet. These two men, were overpowered by a slip of a girl and a fifty year old man in need of a pacemaker. Is that correct General?” 

Tarkin ground his teeth together, his dull gray eyes flashed with indignation. Kylo gave him his back and strode on. “Full report, now.”

“Before Han Solo was apprehended, he was able to manually pilot your...eh-albeit stolen, tye-fighter out of the docking bay.” A female officer with short brown hair stepped in line behind him. She was wearing the green and browns of a sergeant in rank. “Tracking was disabled, but the trajectory of the aircraft leaves no question that they planned to break Earth’s atmosphere, which could only mean…”

“Ohma-D’un.” This was going to be an international nightmare, if he didn’t fix it soon.

The casino now strummed with noise. While people kept their distance, the bubble of tension seemed to have broken. Kylo kept his quick stride and talked. “General Tarkin personally will attend with a garrison of five hundred troops. Send word to the Lunar council that we do not make this move with intent of war, but only to secure the safety of the Supreme Leader’s soon-to-be wife. The Empire will expect cooperation and access to all areas; both public and private.”

“What if they refuse?” The officer hesitated, her pen above a tablet. 

Kylo paused long enough to answer.

“The Empire supplies water shipments, which they use to sustain and adapt into purified oxygen. A refusal could endanger our peaceful trade agreement.”

The officer didn’t jot it down. Instead looked at Kylo in shock, before nodding, and being dismissed.

They’d reached the hanger. The temperature was cutting with no overhead ventilation to warm the occupants, and the flooring that had been so pristine in the casino was a simpler stock that clicked under their boots as they walked. Only the richest patrons parked within the garage, the rest used large shuttles that worked on a timed schedule. The spot where Kylo’s tye-fighter should’ve been was another reminder of his underestimation of the girl. Tarkin preferred a simpler assault shuttle and it was easy to spot. 

The general cleared his throat and indicated something was on his mind. His eyes strayed to the troops behind them, making it clear this was for his ears alone.

Kylo, with a slight jerk of the head, dismissed the audience. The hanger was silent, save for the vibration of the engine underneath them. Tarkin’s stiff posture relaxed slightly. The arms he’d kept locked behind him came to his sides.

Tarkin at last spoke. 

“I’m seventy-two years old. I fought in the great war and watched over you when you could barely hold a phaser.” He looked at Kylo’s uniform. “The Emperor has made you heir with no son from his loins possible. I expected him years ago to choose a leader from among his generals, but instead he selected a coming of age boy, one who could not even grow facial hair at the time. Loyal as I am, you must understand this raised a few eyebrows, even mine.”

Kylo kept his silence. This was known. He’d assumed that while selected at the end, he’d been one of many boys under the eye of the Emperor during his stay at the First Order Academy. 

Tarkin’s smile was not filled with arrogance, but was almost patronly. “But the Emperor has always been a step ahead, even in this. He saw your potential, and so have I.” He rested a hand on Kylo’s arm. “You know how to fight a war. You know how to command men, and one day you’ll make an excellent Emperor - but son, you do not know how to fight this battle.”

Kylo kept his face neutral. “I will have her back to the republic tonight. This set-back…”

“There is a reason men were given full rights over their soulmate. It is not just law, but the natural order as well. The bond allows us to control them, for their safety and care of course, and that gift exist in the marrow of our DNA.” Tarkin’s gray eyes looked down at the mark on Kylo’s wrist. “Make her yield. Use the bond, and make her kneel before you in supplication.” 

“The girl is strong. With the right training, perhaps, even my equal. When she yields, it will be as a student lays down their weapon at the foot of a teacher.”

“Do you hear yourself? She is a womb. The mother of the generations that must keep our legacy alive. Protected, yes, cared for, yes, but you make it sound as if she should wear the lapel of leadership.” Tarkin shook his head. “Do not think I don’t care for the child; I had a daughter.”

His hand on Kylo’s shoulder moved off. “Four sons, and one daughter. I do not mean to pick favorites, but with Katie-Bell, it was hard not to.” His eyes strayed to a memory that Kylo could not see. “And born with the mark. We hoped like all parents for a good match.”

Kylo had met his sons, two were lesser, but still high-ranking officers. Tarkin had never disclosed much about his personal life, other than bringing his wife from time to time to dinner parties, and large public events.

“Of all the matches, Katie-Bell’s soulmate was a resistance fighter pilot.” 

There wasn’t anger in the words, but sorrow. “I pulled strings and offered him a clean slate. Even at the end propositioned to send my little girl to Australia, if he’d live a domestic life. Such was my desperation.” 

His voice turned bitter. “A week after my daughter’s twenty-first birthday, his plane was shot down over the Pacific Ocean. I buried her two weeks later.” 

Tarkin’s fist clenched as if strangling an unseen throat. When he met Kylo’s gaze, his eyes burned with rage. “We’ve all but crushed the resistance. The embers barely alive...but Dr. Rey Sky could fan them.” His hand swept out, towards the expanse. “As far as the public is concerned the girl has been kidnapped, being held against her will by the resistance. No one must know the truth. She cannot become a pawn for their hopeless fight. She’ll be the spark they need to ignite a World War.”

“A marriage, perhaps televised will be done as soon as possible.” Kylo said. “Children when the time is right.”

“Do not coddle her in this. She’s already a small celebrity for being your soulmate. Her face will be what our women will look to. It must be the face of a wife and mother. Nothing more. We serve the Empire, not ourselves. This chase needs to end.”

“Agreed, once I’ve arrived on Ohma-D’un, I’ll send-”

“Plans to bring her back have already been set in motion. The Emperor has sent for the Knights of Ren to collect her.”

“This is under control.” Kylo snarled. 

“Really, because a girl with no formal training just outsmarted you.” Tarkin huffed. “Take my ship and find her if you can. I will not stop you. I saw the expression on your face when you did, whatever you did, on your knees” 

The general turned to look at his transport, hands behind him again. “You love the girl, it is natural. I loved my wife instantly and without question the first time I laid with her. Such is the bond. But when this bond is broken - my daughter clawed her own face, until we had her sedated. Such was the terribleness of a soulmate’s death.”

Kylo was already moving to the assault shuttle.

“You must break her will.” Tarkin yelled.

Kylo didn’t turn around, but the general didn’t need him to. His voice carried well enough.

“Or the Emperor will.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy...reunion at last. 
> 
> Thanks for the wonderful comments and kudos. Makes my day!!

Six eyes looked at Rey in bewilderment. The Panox, a station agent in blue smocks, blinked, and looked at her ship and back at her. It touched the four foot gash on the passenger side of the tye-fighter and shook its head in disbelief. 

“I’m new…” Her voice distorted through the mask.

There was a sound that reminded her of a chicken clucking. Rey’s translator was slow to catch up, but she was able to get the gist of “no shit.”

She handed him a silver bar. “Um...can you fix it? Don’t want the boss to know,” she said sheepishly. The eyes looked at the bar and back at her. Clearly, this was a bigger job than that. Sighing she handed him a gold one. He clucked and waved his hands in exasperation, before dismissing her. 

Passengers who’d disembarked milled around, no doubt drawn to the spectacular display of Rey’s impromptu arrival. A few were pointing and waving others to come hither. Rey huffed. _ Laugh all you want, most of you would be stardust, if you had to attempt a landing on the first try. _

The shaky descent, and subsequent inability to line the craft up correctly had caused a scuff in the airlock door upon admittance into the inner traffic hub. Sparks had flown and an earsplitting sound that probably had been heard all the way on Earth, had groaned out. 

A man of Asian descent in a business suit raised a black shiny box and snapped a photo, before showing it to his group of like-suited associates. No doubt, social media would have this playing over and over again. 

_ Where to go?  _ She’d kept Kylo’s cloak hoping that would be enough for Luke, or Luke’s contact to spot her with. She trudged along at a fast pace. The Star Port was considered a neutral station, and such, The Empire had no formal base within it. Civilians, tourist, and interspecies either headed to Earth or back home, made up the foot traffic around her. It was hard to look for threats when all she wanted to do was stop and stare at everything. 

A dome stretched across the expanse of the moon colonies, allowing the colony to function on an inhabitable world. Star Port was a busy merchant hub. Above her people flew on personal hoverboards. A shuttle cart carrying two decoratively dressed women in flowing robes jingled by. There were vendor carts parked along the city center, all with street foods she’d never seen before. Holographic signs flashed advertisement, and travelers with bright bags exited from shops. A droid rolled by making her stop. It weaved towards a small boy holding a large balloon that was a replica of the moon.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder.

Two stormtroopers stood looking at her. _ Shit, shit, shit... _

“Hey, you.”

She didn’t speak. Hoping muteness would work in her favor. Running wasn’t an option. One of the two guards pointed to her cloak.

“What bigwig did you get stuck with?”

She looked at the article of clothing, trying to decide what to say. Her silence made them look at each other. She shrugged and made a zipper gesture across her mouth.

“Ah, one of those. Pain in the ass is what they are. We have Admiral Convey’s wife. She’s “shopping”.” The trooper made air quotes with his fingers. “Everyone, but her addle-brained husband knows someone else is ringing her up on these trips.”

They laughed, Rey didn’t join in. “This your first visit?” The tallest of the two asked.

Rey nodded her head yes.

“Thought so.” The shorter one looked around. “Ever been to a Spice House?”

She shook her head no.

“Do you have any currency?”

She did, quite a bit in fact. She pulled out a silver bar and showed them. It must have been more than they had for one of them whistled. “You…uh, on downtime? Or on the clock?”

They were not going to buy her silence much longer without a probable justification for it. She pointed to her mask and tapped the speaker box, shaking her head. 

“Yeah, sucks when those go out. You think the Empire would update our uniforms from time to time.” The taller guard grumbled, before clapping her on the back. “Want to go? We won’t be needed until the shuttle leaves tomorrow morning.”

She nodded.

The Spice House tavern appeared dimly lit under a haze of yellow smoke. A woman with blue skin and even bluer eyes greeted them at the entrance. Her disdain, at either their uniforms or their affiliation, made her try to shoo them off. Rey flashed the silver bar and her scowl turned into a smile. So much that she took Rey’s arm, running long dexterous fingers suggestively across her chest. 

Rey tried to shrug the woman off, scanning the place for a friendly face. Two stormtroopers chatted with a short woman with piles of purple hair pushed up in a beehive on her head. A table of boisterous pink finned men played cards. There was even a Wookie standing by a large water fountain.

The two men took off their helmets, much to Rey’s dismay. The tall one, revealed to be a black man in his thirties, and his compadre a young man with straw colored hair and freckled skin. They smiled at her. “Come on! No one cares who you are here, as long as you pay.”

Somehow Rey seriously doubted that. She put a small silver bar on the table and made a circle motion to order drinks with it, then pointed to an area she hoped was in the general direction of the restroom.

“Alright, see you when you get back.” The older man grinned, already flagging a waitress down. 

A waitress with red skin dreads that were braided down her back, noted their raised hand. Her dress shimmered as she swayed to an invisible rhythm, making every step naturally sensuous.  _ This woman would’ve known how to seduce Kylo in that costume _ , she thought absently. 

When Rey brushed by her, the waitress caught her wrist. The woman tried to trail a caress low, the armor keeping her from realizing Rey’s true gender. Though in a place like this, it might not matter.

The boys laughed. “Might take a few more bars than this one here, for that type of fun.” 

Rey shook her head and the woman gave a faux pout, before heading to the table where the men sat. Rey’s eyes searched the establishment, wishing she could yank the helmet off. Vines hung from the ceiling and small birds flitted back and forth between them. 

There was a commotion at the entrance door. The blue skinned waitress started on a tirade, but was silenced when a red caped guard shoved her down hard, making her stumble onto the floor.

The two men Rey had arrived at the bar with observed the scene with confusion.

A few feet away was the kitchen. Moving slowly, Rey inched her way over, trying to hide behind the plant foliage. 

“We are looking for a woman. Perhaps in a Storm Trooper regal.” A mechanized voice that sounded female spoke to the patrons. “Please stay seated until you are cleared.”

Ducking low she darted between the swinging kitchen doors. A chef looked up. Two of his four arms were scraping the inside of a small fire pit. He raised his tongues, ordering her to get out. She ignored him and knocked into a waitress returning empty dinner plates. Plates, and glassware shattered.  _ So much for stealth.  _

_ Exit, where is the exit? _

Frantically she searched. A curtain flapped to her left. The waitress, who’d served her table came through. Her eyes lit up when she saw Rey, and not in a good way. 

Rey shoved past her; feeling the woman’s dexterous fingers that had tried to seduce, now try to claw and get a hold on her clothing. This time Rey was less kind when she removed them by force.

The mask took away her peripheral vision, and so she didn’t even see the arm until it grabbed her, yanking her high off her feet. She kicked air and was hauled unceremoniously towards a flight of stairs. Fighting only caused her attacker to produce an animalistic growl, before he flung her over his shoulder.

Her arms trapped she gave up struggling and resigned herself to capture. Until she realized they were not headed towards a garrison of troops, but what looked to be an area used for storage.

“Are you with the resistance?’ she asked. From her position all she could see was fur, lots of brown fur. “You can set me down!”

It garbled something, but the translator wasn’t positioned in front of the speaker, so she couldn’t understand it (If it was trying to talk to her at all). The creature paused, sniffed the air, and then shuffled towards what looked to be a large fridge. 

Rey’s main view was of the floor, and she could see the concrete beneath them was stained red. Blood it was blood.  _ Shit. “ _ Hey, buddy. Wookie-person. Can we talk?” 

The wookie (Rey had decided that’s what it was) repositioned her on its shoulder as it pulled hard at the large iron handle. A scraping groan sounded as the door slid open. Cold air blew out in great billows. When it at last parted, there were rows of meat hanging on hooks in front of her. 

_ Okay, this is terrifying. _

Her captor shrugged dumping her off his shoulder onto the ground below.

“Hey! No Don’t.” She scrambled up. “Wait!”

The door slammed shut.

“Hey,” she searched for an inside handle and found none. “Let me out.” 

She wasn’t cold, not yet. The suit was insulated. She investigated the four corners of her prison, finding nothing to use as a weapon. Just piles and piles of dead things on hooks.

Three knocks outside made her turn warily. Not sure if friend or foe, she moved behind a slab of meat that looked like it could’ve been a cow carcass...with an extra head.

The red caped stormtrooper was at first nothing, but a swirl of fog. Rey stilled. Had the Wookie sent her?

The woman studied the room. _ If she steps inside, she’ll see me. _ The beef could only hide her so much.

The woman’s radio crackled. She stepped back. “Let’s go. Nothing here.” 

Rey breathed a sigh of relief. A blue light lit up the inside and Rey had to keep waving in front of it to sensor it on. The guards should be gone soon. Probably all the Wookie was waiting for, she hoped. 

Minutes passed and the suit’s warmth had long since evaporated. She could hear her mechanized chatter. If the Wookie’s job was to save her, he was going to be rescuing a popsicle soon.

She stomped her feet and even hopped, trying to stay warm. She wouldn’t make another ten minutes. Anger roiled to the top. All this work, it was not going to end like this.

_ Okay...there had to be a way out. _

She started patting down her suit. No weapon. The two guards they’d overpowered had been forbidden to bring one in the room with her. A red light started flashing in her vision. _ What does that mean? _ She studied her belt and saw buttons. 

Blue button.

The underside of her mask began to inflate like an innertube, making her stab the button to get it to retract.  _ Okay...that was weird _ .

White button. 

The air hissed out of it and it started suctioning in, constricting her chest.  _ Shit...what the hell kind of suit was this? _

Red Button

Crossing her fingers.  _ Please kriffing please. _ Warm air flooded in the suit. It couldn’t reach her fast enough. 

Finding a crate, she sat down and waited, trying not to notice that the two headed hunk of meat’s skinless visage appeared to be smiling at her.

______________

Kylo ran his fingers over the deep groove that cut across the side of his tye-fighter. The girl was alive, and while not perfect, had landed safely enough. Six eyes watched him fearfully. Clucking the same thing over and over.

“She was here. She left. I know nothing.”

Phasma waited for him. She’d arrived twenty-minutes earlier. “Spotted at a Spice House, but I fear reports after that differ on which way she went,” she admitted. “We have two troopers, who met up with her.”

“Did they try to apprehend her?”

“Not exactly.” Phasma sighed. “Best they tell you.”

Kylo almost wished he was back at the Mos Pit, when he stepped into the establishment a few minutes later. 

He raised a gloved hand reflexively to his nose. The stench of opiates clung in the air, mixed with heavy perfumes that were more sickening than exotic. He wondered what had brought her here. _ Did she meet a contact? _ He touched the mark again, but still felt nothing. Once he’d felt something cold, that had trickled up his spine making him shiver...but perhaps that had been his imagination.

Walking to her table Kylo saw two troopers with their helmets off. When they saw him, they acted like turtles trying to retreat into their shell. 

“You made contact with the girl?’

“We didn’t know...we promise, she never took her helmet off.” A blond kid started to babble.

Kylo glowered him into silence. “Did she appear hurt? Did she leave with anyone?”

They both shook their head. 

“There was a Wookie…”

A feminine voice spoke up. Kylo turned to look at a beautiful Twi’lek. She appraised his figure from top to bottom, giving him a coquettish grin. “Perhaps I could tell you everything I know...alone?” 

He stopped her hand before she touched him. “I am not after used wares of that sort.” She took the insult as if he’d slapped her. Snarling, she tried to break free, but he applied enough pressure to cause pain, making her quiet. “The Wookie?”

“Followed her out,” she said between clenched teeth. “Chewie...I think. Never saw him before. Wookies don’t like the smells. We rarely see one.”

He released her and turned to Phasma. “Give the woman two silvers. Strip these two guards of their post and send them back to Earth. At present a scantily clad whore has more perceptiveness than these men.”

The kitchen was a health code violation in the making. Hunks of raw meat hung next to fresh cut vegetation. Something purred in a crate that a nervous looking chef was sitting on. He pointed to a door at his left, sputtering out “There. There-” Till Phasma told him to shut up.

Outside the Spice House, Kylo was faced with three possibilities the girl could have taken: a waste disposal shoot, a stairwell that spiraled down, and a grated path that led back out to foot traffic.

“What’s down there?” Kylo asked pointing to the stairs.

“Meat locker.” Phasma said. “We searched it.”

“Cameras?”

“No cameras to view. It appears this business doesn’t want to advertise the illegal game they’ve been using.”

Kylo started walking towards the footpath when he remembered the cold. 

He took the steps three at a time till he reached the freezer. Grasping the handle, he pulled not sure if he wanted to know, knowing there was no other choice, but to look.

The cold air at first fogged everything, but he stepped through calling her name.

The cloak had frozen solid. He couldn’t even flex it in his fingers.

He closed his eyes, thankful to only be holding the materiel.

The girl was gone.

____________________________

“Thank you for your b-business,” DJ said pocketing almost all of Rey’s money. He smiled patting the breast pocket of his trench coat, whistling as he walked out.

Luke hadn’t wanted to trust him, having questioned the man’s convenient timing. However, Rey had dealt with the thief for years. DJ, as he was called, had reached out to them through their new contact, Maz, a tiny woman whose orange skin, pearl shaped eyes, and small button nose made her look almost child-like.

Rey’s wrist throbbed. If the device worked, Kylo wouldn’t be able to use the mark to track her. Maz had studied the small bug device, using her large goggles with digital enhancements, before allowing DJ to inject her. 

A grumble in her stomach reminded her of the task at hand. Rey cut into the purple steak, watching as blue blood dripped underneath it. Her stomach clenched, but when she tried to bring it to her lips, her mouth wouldn’t open. It smelled...odd. Burnt tires...asphalt on a hot day. Nothing that said “moo” that’s for sure.

“How are those clothes, dear?” Maz asked.

“After the g-string…” Rey started, than saw Luke raising an eyebrow. He’d missed that. She forgot. “They are wonderful. You said they are the common wear of scavengers?”

Maz nodded. “The tunic is light. The wrap attached to it will help hide your appearance when in public. I’ll show you how to wind it around your face.” The woman pulled from a shelf a tolkein bit of cloth. “We’ll bind your arms with this, it’ll help you blend in and hide that mark.”

“Again, I can’t thank you enough.” Rey’s voice was a bit thick. Outstretching her arms, she waited as the woman worked the bone-colored cloth. “I-I wish there was something I could do for you in return.”

Maz patted her arm when she finished. “The resistance needs you.”

“Not sure what I can do...I could be a doctor on staff. I could do that.”

Luke returned to the table. “One day, we’ll get you back to work. You’re Kylo Ren’s soulmate. We need to use that.”

She lifted her fork. Sticking the bite in her mouth and trying to chew. It squeaked between her tongue and teeth like a cheese curd. It tasted…

“Spit it out dear.” Maz shook her head. “I’ll find you something, more palatable.”

Blushing she allowed her plate to be taken away. Maz handed it to the wookie, who Rey had learned was named Chewy. He avoided her stare, no doubt feeling guilty about earlier. His gurgling throaty sounds had been telling her to activate the suit, while she waited for him to come back with Luke. 

“Aren’t I supposed to hide?” Rey asked cautiously. “I mean, if Kylo knows where I am, won’t he just show up with the fleet as big as his ego?”

“Yes, that’s why you can’t stay here.”

“But won’t Earth be worse?”

Maz returned with a purple twisted plant that was steaming. It smelled like sweet cream butter, and when Rey gratefully bit into it she found the flavor similar to a potato.

“No, Earth would be too dangerous.” Luke poured her a glass of water. “Furthermore, we need you to be the face of the Resistance.”

The food in her mouth became lodged and she choked hard. “What?”

Maz patted her hand. “Drink this.” She pushed the glass across. When Rey had recovered, Maz sat down next to her. “We can hide you, but so many women, children, and families caught in this can’t hide. The Empire is using the decline of births to control the populace. Already documents are being dredged up to wage war on the few countries that refuse to conform to the barbaric practices. Even within the Factions, many would rise if given hope.”

Rey looked at the two of them. She thought of everything she’d done to sit at this table, a free woman. Her thoughts strayed to Maddie, Hux’s wife. Rose had been unable to hide her fingerprints. A random selection had placed her prints on the registry, and there’d been nothing they could do. Hux ever the prick, had not even allowed her to pack her locker. Instead he had collected her - like a criminal - from her apartment in the middle of the night. All for show. Two months later she’d been pregnant. 

“Alright.” Her voice tried to sound stronger, but she felt it tremor as she asked. “What do I need to do?”

Maz smiled. “Thank you, child. We must work fast. Tonight, you leave, but first you’ll need a weapon.”

________________

Well the Wookie explained a lot. Kylo had known that beast since childhood. It was after all his father’s best friend.

He rubbed the bridge between his nose. There was a throbbing in his temple that wouldn’t go away. This set-back meant she’d made contact with the resistance. An image of the giant bear of a creature carrying him on his shoulders while he laughed and screamed Chew-Chew, was swept away. If he caught Chewbacca, he’d join his father in an - albeit bigger - carbonite prison.

Piles of maps lay on a polished table. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have access to holographic images of the city, he did. Paper would show him things that might be left out by the generic provided holographs. 

“Do we have the Councils’ full cooperation, yet?” 

Admiral Convey cleared his throat. “No, not yet...I think they are stalling.”

“Tell them for every hour that is wasted I shall double the price of the next shipment.” Kylo’s fingers trailed a circle around Rey’s last spot. “Reports, sightings?”

Convey shook his head. “Not yet, we have troops-”

“Do not prattle things I know.” Kylo snapped. 

The room was quiet after the Admiral took his leave.  _ Where was the girl? And why couldn’t he at least use the mark to establish some form of contact? _ If dead, his body had not reacted yet. 

A knock sounded on the door, and he did not envy the next person who wasted his time.

Phasma entered and behind her a stranger. He was not in the mood for false leads, so his tone left no question of his mood. 

“Who is this?” 

Kylo studied the tall man, with a mess of unkempt hair, and shadow of stubble on his broad cheeks. The man stepped further into the room and glanced at the furnishing with a cool eye, hardly reacting to the power before him. Gloved hands with the fingers cut out fished in the upper pocket of his dirty trench coat, found a smoke and proceeded to light it.

Either the stranger had Rey in his pocket, or he was working his way to a fast execution.

Phasma noted Kylo’s darkening mood and spoke quickly. “Sir, it seems this man was asked to put an Aegis implant in an Earth woman’s left wrist, not two hours ago.”

Kylo’s eyes narrowed. “That would be most unfortunate for you, if true.”

“N-naw.” The stranger having lit the cigarette, let the match fall on the plush white carpet where it burned a small hole before his combat boots crushed it out. “S-see I he-heard there’s a b-big reward.”

“Considering such an implant would sever my connection with the girl, I don’t see what you have to gain, besides an early death.”

The man didn’t even flinch at the threat. “I establish-ed a r-relationship with the g-good doctor. Back on Earth. C-caught pas-sage on a s-ship. Kn-ew some people. B-but they would-n’t keep her in one place long. I-I offer-red her my services. S-see I-I cooouldn’t let it fool M-Maz, but I add-ed something t-to it.”

Kylo opened a drawer from the table. Pulling out a decanter of fine whisky. He took two crystal shot glasses out and poured the man two fingers full. Setting the decanter next to it, in a show he could refill to his liking. 

The man downed it. His throat working the liquid down as if it was water. Kylo waited, even pouring the next round. “Should this intel, bring me the girl, you shall be rewarded. What is it, that you want?”

“M-money…”

“Done.”

“A nice ship…”

“Done.”

“W-women…”

Kylo sighed. “With a fancy cruiser and a giant bank account you don't need my help to acquire that.” He crossed his arms. “Who are you?”

The man smiled, showing rows of teeth, that were a shock of white, despite his habits. “Names DJ. I’m a s-slicer and t-thief by trade.”

“Well, DJ, the Empire will overlook such career choices, if you are able to deliver.”

DJ fished out of his trench coat pocket a small radio, holding it out with gloved hands to Kylo. “I-it’s simple, but, it’ll work j-just fine.”

Kylo took it. Simple was an understatement, this tracker was almost stone age old. Still, he flipped a switch. It buzzed, and the green screen flashed a map with a miniscule red dot, that pulsed.

“B-better hurry. I heard t-the resistance is gonna g-get her on the first flight to Alderaan.”

“That cannot be permitted,” he said sharply.

If the girl made it there, he would never get her back. That wasn’t just outside his jurisdiction, but light years from Earth. Not only did he not have jurisdiction, but he lacked the means to wage a war, or even strong arm the governing bodies into compliance. While they did not involve themselves with the Empire, they’d made no attempt to hide their lack of approval on matters of state.

He looked at the gadget’s flashing dot, watching it slowly start to move. The navigational codes flashed with it.

Papers flew off the table as he searched for the right sketch. All the colonies were connected by monorails. Rey was clearly on one. He glanced at DJ. The thief blew a smoke ring towards Phasma. When she turned her head, DJ gave her a suggestive pucker of his lips. She pointed her phasor at him, and the thief shrugged before grabbing the shot glass to refill.

“You said you’re a slicer...so you know how to crack codes, disable security systems?” Kylo asked.

“Ain’t a-a system, I haven’t been a-able to stop me.” DJ bragged.

“Good, because I need you to stop a train.”

For the first time DJ’s cocky smile faltered. He set the glass down. Grabbing the decanter this time he poured his and Kylo’s glass. Raising it to his lips, he smiled.

“Fine, b-but that’s going to cost y-you.”

____________________

The train under Rey rumbled softly. Her face was partly covered with the wrap, and she kept her head down, pretending to read an electronic magazine. Chewy watched out the window, before moaning and resting his hands on his belly. The rocking of the train apparently making him motion-sick. She patted him affectionately. They’d made up over the misunderstanding, even bonding over Chewy telling her Solo stories. 

The train was picking up speed again. It made stops every thirty minutes and each one made her throat go dry, and her pulse rise. The scenery outside was all the same; ghost-white ground with the stars cast against a black-night. They were on the far-side of the moon, and thus, Earth was hidden. She wished it hadn’t been; a part of her would’ve liked to see it one last time.

A sweet old lady with tired eyes and grayish scaly skin, offered Rey a bite of her sandwich. Rey saw something crawling inside it. “No thank you.” 

“Traveling to work?” The woman said taking a bite. She glanced at Rey’s clothing and newly acquired staff. As she chewed Rey could hear a crunching sound that reminded her of Solo’s oatmeal. “Mining those rocks, so dangerous, you be careful.”

“Thank you ma’am I will.” Chewy moaned again, and Rey rested her head on his shoulder.

Two more stops and they’d be at the terminal where passage to Aldereen had been booked. Her eyes drifted. Everyone on board looked okay. Thirty minutes to the next terminal. No Storm Troopers sighted except on the first stop. Her eyes fluttered closed again. Just a small nap. She yawned. Chewy really was a comfortable pillow.

Her pillow was trying to smother her. Bleary eyed she pushed at the heavy body. “Hey...bruiser. Wake up.”

Four hundred pounds was hard to push off, mostly when it leaned against her almost trapping her cattycorner in the booth. Oh for the love of…”Get off. You big teddy bear.” She giggled. But when he didn’t move. She glanced up at his face. His mouth was open, and a trajectory of drool was aiming to roll down on her. She slapped his arm hard. Nothing.  _ Did Wookies go into deep REM sleep? _

“I didn’t have ketamine, but I do think the concoction I gave him, should make him dream of large furry women till morning.”

Rey’s eyes snapped to the passenger sitting at her right. She tried to move, but he was faster, grasping her by the collar and thrusting her against the seat and train window. She struggled, but he held her easily, holding a hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

“Introductions... I’m sorry, where are my manners?” His voice was cordial, even as he reached for a pair of steel cuffs. “Knight of Ren, at your service.” 

Her eyes flickered to four other men, who loomed in the now empty booth. He followed her gaze. They all wore masks of different designs, but one thing that was the same, from head to toe they wore black. “Don’t worry about learning our names. We’ll understand, if you just want to call us Ren.”

He almost had one cuff on her wrist. The lights flickered. He paused. Glancing up. 

There was a loud groan from deep within the engine. The mask turned to look back at her. He made to secure her right wrist first. The cuff locked closed---and then the train’s groan turned to a shriek, as the brakes locked up.

The knight yelled something and his grip momentarily lifted. He might have still gotten her other hand, if a four hundred pound sleeping wookie hadn’t fallen on him. 

________________

Kylo placed the tye-fighter next to the monorail tracks. While outside, it was still protected by the dome covering, allowing him to open the hatch and walk out towards the now still train. He saw smoke under the carriage.

The transmitter in his hand dinged. 

Kylo pried the back door open. The pleasant smell of spice tea and spilled coffee filled his nostrils as he tried to adjust to the pandemonium inside the car. 

Two large slug-like men dressed in blue robes, seeing a door open, made a panicked attempt to reach it. They pushed past him with frog-like pleas to move. An older woman with a shawl and a cut above her eye screamed for her lap dog. Three small toddlers with pink tinted trunk noses clung to their mother crying. The lights went out, and then flickered making each scene come to him in flashes.

He looked at his transmitter, the dot was in the next cart. 

A large puggish faced man with a barrel body rushed through, holding the hand of a female creature twice his size. She was hysterically clicking, and Kylo had to jump into the booth beside him to avoid being trampled. The mother tried to get out of her seat, and one of the small children tumbled out of her embrace. Kylo grabbed it and held it close to his chest before two more fleeing passengers could crush it to death. 

The toddler wailed and clung to his him. The child’s wet trunk left a trail of slime on his shirt when he finally handed it back to its sobbing mother. The family bustled out of their seats and through the open side coach door outside.

He stepped over luggage and into the next cart.

At first, he only saw Rey. She struggled with a man whose arm was around her throat trying to subdue her. 

Kylo didn’t think, he moved. He hit hard in the man’s lower kidneys, dropping the figure. When he turned, Kylo saw the mask. Saw four other masks turn to look at him.

The room illuminated on and off as bulbs flickered like spastic strobe lights.

“Knights of Ren stand down.” Kylo ordered.

Rey moved beside him. She was breathing hard and her lip was bleeding. A cuff dangled from her wrist. The man on his knees started to rise.

“Our orders are from Emperor. We bring the girl.”

Kylo looked at Rey. There was a handprint where she’d been slapped. Her eyes were bright. He nodded at her.

The knight who rose tried to reach for the girl. Rey grasped a quarter staff he’d vaguely noticed attached to her back and shoved it into the man’s midriff, just as a spark of electricity crackled at the end. The knight dropped and started seizing on the floor. 

The four knights moved slowly his way. Rey gripped the staff and took a deep breath. She nodded at him. 

The Knights surrounded them. Kylo gave them a slight bow, his hands out. They took it for the invitation, it was. 

The lights dimmed down, no longer flickering. 

It gave Kylo one second to memorize the four men’s positions before he moved. 

Then the lights went out.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ***Sorry guys. Family is in the midst of the stomach bug. Which has taken almost all my time. Hope to be back to quicker updates soon***
> 
> Thank you so much for comments and kudos. Such an amazing response!

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The Knights of Ren didn’t intend to kill them. That was obvious from the first blow. Kylo felt the restraint in it, even as he deflected. Three of the attackers focused on him, the other one on the girl. He knew each one of these men; knew their strengths, their weaknesses. They’d trained him. His advantage was also theirs. A foot stepped between his two feet, a knight wrestled him from behind, muscular arms trying to bear hug him into a submissive pose. 

Stepping into it he opened his midriff to attack, but he moved fast. His long arms grasped the attacker by the collar and hauled him over like a bag of flour. 

The staff in the hand of the girl flared. 

The moon offered its own soft glow outside, and after the first shock of darkness, Kylo’s eyes had adjusted to the hues of shadows that allowed him to see the outline of the others inside the train.

From Kylo’s periphery he watched the girl moving two steps back. She was being herded, the knight keeping his advantage to subdue her quickly in a corner. For her part, she was not waving the quarterstaff in a haphazard fashion, which would’ve ended the duel within seconds. Her opponent held no weapon, though he tried unsuccessfully to acquire hers. The staff swung towards the head of the knight and he made to grab it, only for her to deflect at the last second. With a twist of her hand, she aimed the weapon under his armpit. 

The ionized smell permeated the room when the electrical charge made contact. The girl used the advantage and made to thrust between the knight’s breastplates to finish the job, but this time her opponent was able to gain purchase and grabbed her wrist, while bringing his boot down on her lower calf.

Kylo saw no more. The two men, having recovered, maneuvered like chess pieces into another checkmate position. Two came at his side, attempting this time for his arms, while the third moved behind him to gain advantage of his head and neck, thus controlling the body.

When the knight to his right grabbed his dominant arm, he thrust his own hand up towards the man’s elbow and with a horrendous counter-clockwise twist, he heard the bone snap at the joint as he rotated it. The victory was hardly won, as an arm grasped Kylo around the throat. Together they slammed into the side booth. He needed to break the hold. Using the plush backing of a seat to push off against, he forced the two of them back. The leverage wasn’t enough.

The air was leaving Kylo’s lungs fast. Another minute and he’d buckle. The burliest of the men stepped in front of him, assessing for an open spot. A gloved hand drew back aiming a blow to his center. It was half averted when he raised a knee up, and the man had to block that instead.

Another spark. Ozone in the air. This time Kylo heard the girl cry out. Accompanied by the sound of a body hitting the floor.  _ Kriff. _ Not that he’d expected her to win. 

Kylo couldn’t prevail by allowing the knight in front of him to keep up his blows. Kicking out, his foot struck high, knocking the man in front of him back. Kylo having seconds, used the last of his momentum and staggered back, aiming for the sharper corner of the booth behind them. When they struck it, the forearm loosened enough he could gain control of his shoulder and work his arm free to elbow the knight in the gut.

The force of the jab brought the knight to a knee. Kylo saw the mask turn upward, just before he struck hard enough across the back of his helmet to ensure unconsciousness. 

Three knights, including the one who’d been on the girl advanced. This wasn’t going to end well. 

A prickle to his left wrist, then a tug. He glanced towards the mark, puzzled, feeling pressure against the palm of his skin.

“Take it.” Rey hissed across their bond.

The knights lunged, aiming to finish. Kylo’s fingers twisted around the helm of the staff, and with a punishing midline blow, he drove the end straight into the neck of the first knight. The weapon jolted in his hand. Sparks flew allowing Kylo to see the mask crack before the man dropped. 

The other two tried to reach for weapons, but the wickedness of the long armed staff reached them before they could counter-attack with their own deadly force. While not dealt with mortal intent, Kylo held nothing back. Striking first to knee caps, then groin, and then finishing with the neck.

Five knights lay in various positions across the train carriage floor. One moaned but did not move.

HIs throat burned from the choke-hold. When he tried to speak it came out raspy.

“Rey?”

“Here.” she called from the far end of the car.

When he found her, she’d propped herself up against the connecting doors. He could see the outline of her small frame and assessed the rise and fall of her chest as fast, but normal. He knelt down in front of her, noticing she held pressure on her left wrist, which was bloody. From her right wrist dangled a handcuff.

“Superficial,” she gritted her teeth.

“Liar.” He gently took the wounded arm. “How bad?”

“I used broken glass from a cup and carved the Aegis implant out.” She flinched when his fingers touched over the area. 

Grabbing the hem of his undershirt Kylo ripped at the cloth, tearing a strip, then wrapping it around her wrist.

They didn’t have much time. The knights, while the deadlier of the Empire’s arsenal, would not be the last to arrive. Already, he imagined word of the train’s predicament had reached government ears, and they’d at least have the local guard wishing to detain them. 

He helped her stand.

“I’ll get us to the tye-fighter. I know where we can hide for a bit.” He meant to take her hand, but she drew back.

“Chewie!”

The girl was already moving to a booth, where much to his irritation his father’s oldest friend seemingly napped across the seat, his arms hanging above his head as if he’d naturally meant to pick this spot to rest. Foam bubbled at the beast mouth.

“They over-medicated him. We need to get him to a medical center.” Rey’s checked the Wookie’s pulse. “It’s too slow.” 

“Leave him,” Kylo ordered. “Maybe he’ll survive. We on the other hand will have much less luck if we don’t get in the air.”

“Help me. You grab the arms. I think I can manage his legs...Is there a blanket? We could drag him.”

“No”

Rey paused over the furry mammal. “Please, outside at least. I can’t work very well in here.”

“I did not pull this stunt to join a futile cause.” He moved closer to her. “We’ll talk about this later.”

He knew the moment she scooted further in the booth that their short-lived truce was over. Her body pressed against the window, allowing the moonlight to cast a silver shadow that haloed her hair and shoulders. _ Kriff, she’s beautiful.  _ He held a hand out to her. “Please.” His voice soft. “I can make you. But I’d prefer to avoid such tactics.”

“He’s your dad’s best friend. You must have grown up with him.” She pleaded as her arms moved to cradle the Wookie’s head. “He’s your family.”

Kylo had no intention of being drawn into an argument of emotions. His fingers dug into his mark. 

“Come here.” He watched her fight the pull. “Come here and obey.” 

“Don’t do this.” She was crying. “We can’t leave him.”

She closed her eyes, and he felt a tingle in his own wrist, one that started creeping into his skull. Pressure. The girl was pushing back. He ground his teeth, trying to put his own will over hers. Tarkin’s voice echoing,  _ “Make her submit.”  _

“Chew-chew...” Her voice picking up fragments from his memory. “You loved him…Love him,” she corrected.

The pressure was a hot poker in his brain. Now he was fighting to keep the girl out. The line opened between them and he couldn’t close the connection. She was grasping for something, something deep.

“Chewie was the reason you chose the flowers...” Rey murmured. “The wildflowers.”

He touched his temple.  _ Not that memory… _

But it was too late, the girl was already there.

_ Ben’s feet pounded the Earth. The field of wildflowers trampling under his shoes. “Put a few pounds on?” He teased, then glanced behind him to see the wookie struggling to keep up. In response, Chewie let out a low gurgling roar. _

_ “Your species lives twice as long as mine, don’t give me “old bones.” You keep up with my dad, don’t you?’ _

_ He broke through a clearing and saw the worn foot path that led down to the river. The sweet smell of the water called his name. The hill was steep and normally he took it slowly, but now being chased, he ignored caution and made for the water. _

_ Ben’s mother had brought him to this wonderful country four weeks ago. They were staying at a cabin. Location he didn’t know, nor did he care. They always traveled. But this place, was his favorite. His father arrived that morning, and like usual, him and mom were fighting.  _

_ Chewie instead of helping unpack the plane, had seen Ben sitting sullenly by the pilot door, waiting for his dad’s attention.  _

_ The wookie smiled, and gave a throaty quip, that translated. “Have you ever fished?’  _

_ When he shook his head no, the wookie smiled wider and brought out a rod and reel that was almost as big as the grinning kid.  _

_ Now blindly running downhill, Ben’s bliss couldn’t be dampened by the fact his father wasn’t the one showing him how to catch one of the mammoth salmon he’d seen jumping along the water’s edge. _

_ Halfway down his foot caught a rut wrong. _

_ The earth flew at him. His hands catching air as he hurled forward off the trail and down into the brush. Twigs cracked and splintered as he tried to grasp anything, the mossy embankment not having enough traction to slow him down. His body rolled. The bitter taste of copper was in his mouth and then his head struck a rock, dazing him before his body broke into a patch of darkness. _

_ At first, he didn’t feel pain. The ringing sound in his ears drowned out the world around him. Warmth trickled down his nose and into his mouth, and he tried to brush it away.  _

_ Pain. Thorns tugged at his skin, ripping the bare uncovered flesh of his arm. He couldn’t see. A tangle of nettles made every movement excruciating. Now he was scared.  _

_ “Mom”  _

_ “Dad” _

_ “Help. Help me! Mom! DAD!” _

_ He was sobbing. Begging them.  _

_ The darkness parted. Chewie begin ripping the bramble away. His deep voice reassuring Ben everything was going to be okay. Giant paws reaching down, pulling him into the protection of his chest, the thick fur keeping him from further injury.  _

_ Chewie held him close as Ben wrapped his arms around the wookie’s neck, burying his face into the nape of soft skin. The tears dried up. Angry red marks peppered his bare skin, but they were nothing compared to the ones that the Wookie had on his thick arms and hands. _

_ “I’m sorry Chew.” He blubbered. “You’re hurt and it’s my fault.” _

_ The wookie let out a long growl, that was half a laugh.  _

_ “Do the same for you?” Now it was Ben’s turn to laugh. “I would need the Millennium Falcon to haul your harry butt up that hill.” _

_ A furry paw took a playful swipe at his chin. For a minute he forgot he was eight and hugging big teddy bears was for babies. He gave the wookie one last fierce embrace before breaking away. He grabbed the rod which had broken in two and lay where he’d dropped it on the path, giving a dejected sigh. “Hey, dad gonna stay this time?” _

_ The wookie shrugged.  _

_ “Dumb question.” Ben looked around. “Can you stay?” _

_ The wookie frowned. _

_ “Dumber question.” _

_ There was a short, clipped growl of affection as the Wookie patted his shoulder. _

_ “I know.” Ben said. “I know. _

Kylo looked down at the sleeping giant. 

“Gained a few pounds since then,” his chided and hated how his voice sounded too close to Ben’s. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the girl. 

They used a blanket. Chewie moaned but didn’t throw up. When they’d opened the back door, passengers came to their aid, helping them gently bring the now groaning wookie to the ground. A medical personnel, with standard red ties on both arms and reptilian skin hustled over with a white triage bag. 

With no translator they couldn’t understand the “ssss” sounds that came out of the medic’s mouth. 

“Doctor.” Rey pointed to her shirt. 

The medic shook his head.

Frustrated she grabbed his equipment bag, unzipping it. The medic protested, but Kylo growled a warning when the reptile tried to physically stop the girl. She must have found what she was looking for, because her eyes lit up as she grabbed a glass bottle, and then fished out a syringe and needle. He saw her calculate the wookie’s size and then adjust the dose, before plunging the needle into her unconscious patient. 

Instantly Chewie’s breathing resumed to normal, and he even started to cough.  _ Ever the doctor, _ Kylo thought watching as she patted the beast. 

“Going to be okay, you big oaf.” Rey’s relief was so great when Kylo moved behind her, she leaned back against him tiredly. “Thank you.”

“We have to go,” Kylo said, resting a hand gently on her shoulder.

“He’ll wake up soon. We can take him to the resistance and…”

“I have not left my cause. Nor do I plan to join my mother’s.”

She made a half-hearted attempt at escape. 

The cuff dangled from her right wrist and it was quick work to secure it to the other behind her back. She protested, but he lifted her easy. He payed no heed to the shocked faces around him. They were on borrowed time. He loaded her into the tye-fighter. She was talking, but his eyes were on the sky, watching for approaching lights. He barely avoided being bitten when he set her in the seat behind his, and strapped her in. 

The aircraft hovered above the ground. He glanced back once at her and wished he hadn’t. Her head was down, and her shoulders shuddered. 

He didn’t look back again. Not until they were clear of the moon’s orbit.

He cleared his throat.

“I’d like to remove the cuffs.” 

There was a pause and he wondered if she meant to give him the silent treatment.

“Was being Ben Solo really that terrible?’ she whispered.

He tapped the steering. “No. Not at all. He lived a good life and when he could no longer exist, died as he should.”

“You loved Chewie…”

“Ben loved Chewie.” 

She turned her head away. “I see.”

Kylo tried to avoid another lapse in conversation by diverting to another topic. “When we were fighting, you knew how to use that quarterstaff. Where did you learn such skills?”

“Parade.”

“The formation class?’ His voice was puzzled. “I didn’t...after the Academy it wasn’t required. I don’t remember girls being taught more than basic step.”

“Baton and dance,” she said absently. 

He waited and hearing no explanation glanced back again. “We have hours till the destination.”

“Everything I tell you, could put someone else in danger.”

_ So that was it. _ The tye-fighter was on autopilot coursing its path through the stars. He unbuckled his seat. Going to her. “We cannot keep this up. Let us know each other.” 

When he bent down to unbuckle her to better reach the cuffs, he saw her face pale. Understanding, he tsked. “We’ve already known each other that way once. This, perhaps would be more intimate.”

When he’d freed her completely, she rubbed her wrist and watched him warily. The ship was not built for more than flying, and so he could do little more than sit and talk with her. His fingers strayed to his mark. Fear crossed her face.

“Going to make me submit?” she spat.

He reached out gently to touch her own mark that was bandaged. “You took something from me. A memory.”

“I couldn’t let Chewie die.”

“Let’s focus. What you took, I would give you now,” he paused. “If you would share that same sentiment with me.”

“You’d share memories?”

“All the ones I can give.”

She glanced at his large hand that enveloped her own. Her tone mocked him. “There is no fairy tale. I will not hold back.”

“Neither will I.” 

“You  _ own  _ me,” she countered. “You _ arrogant _ bastard... Do you  _ know _ what you’ve done to acquire such rights?”

He deserved that. But this would never work until she trusted him. And she would never accept just his spoken words. He studied her face.  _ So strong you are. So much light.  _ The walls had to come down between them.

Perhaps one day those eyes that reflected like spun gold would not burn him when they held his own. Needing to touch her, knowing the truce was connected with the barest of threads, he brushed a strand a hair behind her ear. 

His voice held affection. “Let us cut each other then on the sharpest glass.” He locked their marks over each other. “You told me once...now show me.”

He didn’t push hard. He didn’t have to. Without resistance it was like slicing through butter. He felt her tremble. Lightly he kissed her. Feeling the ghost of her lips press back.

She gripped the underside of his forearm. 

“I’ll show you...” Her voice was thick. 

Her emotions became his; grief, resentment, anger...and underneath it all, whether she’d accepted it or not, that she felt tied to him. Whether by connection or love she did not know.

She took a deep breath. “Let me show you, your perfect world.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ***Trigger warning.*** This deals with child abuse. You could scroll to the last couple sentences and be fine. This is Rey's POV. Next will be Kylo's and it will be the last of flashbacks, so to speak.

A fog filled her brain. There was water on the bedside table, but Rey didn’t dare drink it. Something was wrong. The only thing she knew was that everytime she drank, things became fuzzy. 

She was so tired. 

She had a mom. She had a dad. She did. She knew she did.

They loved her.

She glanced at the metal door: the stark reminder that this was a prison, no matter how pretty her new room decked in pink looked. Behind the door, the people in white waited. She’d seen them give shots to the kids who cried too loudly. Even at five she knew she didn’t want that.

“I have a mother. I have a father.” She whispered. Because she couldn’t remember. Yesterday she could. They’d taken away her crayons when she’d tried to draw them. 

“I have a mother. I have a father.” 

Did they make her parents forget her?

_ Can’t fall asleep. _

Sleep made her forget more.

_ Please don’t forget who I am...please come find me. _

Her eyes closed. 

___________

The material of her dress itched. Rey wanted to adjust the stiff collar, but the woman holding her hand now had smacked her knuckles the last time she’d fidgeted. They’d climbed the steps to a gray house with a white door. The hedges were trimmed in cubes; the walkway devoid of dirt. Everything seemed meticulous and pristine. Rey didn’t like it.

The woman rapped on the door. Rey stuck her tongue out when she wasn’t looking, wishing her guardian's (one of The Watch, as they were called) cold fingers would let go of her own. The woman spoke to her.

“You’re a lucky girl. Unkar Plutt is very rich.”

Rey bit the inside of her cheek. Two years in correctional school had taught her contrary opinions were never to be voiced. Today, she had parents--well, a parent: a father. 

The door swung open.

A heavy set man dressed in a bright orange jumper looked down at her. His initially broad smile faltered into confusion.

“Who is this?”

The wind picked up now, and Rey’s guardian had no intention of standing outside in it. Without waiting for invitation she pushed the two of them across the threshold. Plutt for his part kept looking at Rey as if she was a specimen in a jar he wanted to shake.

“Mr. Plutt. I’m on a schedule. All the paperwork has been settled.”

“But, the report said Rey...isn’t that a boy name?” Plutt said with a hint of disappointment. 

“If you don’t like the name, petition it to be changed.” The woman replied.

The hallway opened to a wide corridor, and Rey's eyes ran over the paintings adorning the walls. An oil canvas above her was of a man leaning against a rock, naked. She tried not to stare at the clearly male parts. The other art work depicted things with clothes on. She liked those. One had two boys running, another had a sleeping boy curled in the arms of what looked to be his father. 

The two adults began conversing, allowing her to wander. The smell of something burnt was wafting from the next room. It was from a woodstick on a table being smoked inside a glass plate. She didn’t like the odor; it tickled the back of her throat. The couches were the color of Plutt’s jumpsuit. The orange looked better on the furniture, she thought as she continued glancing around.

A vibrant red caught her eye. In the left corner of the living room was a table with a firetruck on it, and next to it a garrison of plastic green army men. 

_ Plutt wants a son. _ The thought sunk Rey's heart. Not that she’d been excited about the adoption, but the correctional center hadn’t been much fun and she didn’t want to return to the room with the metal door. 

Carefully she brought the gifts down to the floor. She didn’t like dolls and frilly things. Maybe Plutt would be okay with a girl who liked fire trucks. Crossing her legs, she pretended to rescue the green plastic men and even made a few engine noises for effect. The truck had a ladder that extended, and she used it to save the men from their imaginary peril.

So caught up in her make-believe, she didn’t hear Plutt come into the room, nor hear the subtle squeak of the couch as he sat down to watch her. It wasn’t until he gave a cough that she turned to find him watching her play.

“I’m sorry...I should’ve asked.” Rey stood up, clasping her hands together.

He didn’t reply, and after a minute he stood up and left. 

Shortly after there was another visitor. 

“Hello Ms. Rey.” A silver-plated droid said walking into the room. “Would you like some dinner?”

The droid--she nicknamed Eddie, because she couldn’t stand calling it by a number--sat with her while she ate. The newly named model politely listened to her talk for two hours. Eddie even held her hand while showing her the house, and finally her room.

The bedroom was huge, and a part of her wanted to feel some excitement over it. A queen size bed with a star pattern on it, a building block station, a race car track...so many expensive electronics. A solar system projected above her head, and a control panel on the wall allowed her to add shooting stars. 

It almost made her forget she wasn’t wanted here. Maybe tomorrow Unkar Plutt would be happier.  _ It must suck to buy all this for a boy, and have a girl show up _ . She sighed and watched a holographic comet drift across the ceiling. 

_ Tomorrow, _ she yawned,  _ tomorrow he’ll talk to me _ . Even if she was a girl.

Something was wrong. 

Rey snapped awake.

“You were supposed to be a boy.”

Rey tried to sit up in bed, but a hand pushed her down. There was a stench, alcohol and sweat. The room was pitch black, and her eyes were slow to adjust to the darkness.

“I don’t like girls.”

_ Unkar...it was Unkar. _ “I’m sorry,” she stammered. 

“Sorry.” Unkar laughed, his breath on her face. “You don’t know what that means yet.”

Rey struggled, the hand on her chest moved to her neck and applied pressure. “Please...you can send me back.” She begged.

“You know what they would do if I disrespected such an honor?” His spit flew in her face. “Stupid girl.”

“I’ll be good. I promise. I can be just like a boy.” She grasped his wrist weakly in an attempt to get him to let go. 

“Be my boy...hmmm?” He let go, gripping instead her long hair in a painful bunch that pulled hard at the roots. “Boys don’t have long hair.” 

He flipped her over, straddling her small body on the bed. Her eyes had adjusted to the lighting enough to see the blade when he pulled it out. She screamed and he swiftly pressed her face into the pillow. His stubby fingers pulled back on her hair and then she felt the knife's blade shear the strands away until it nicked the back of her neck. 

“Now...maybe you can be a boy.” The knife cut into her pajamas. The silky ones that had felt like air on her skin. “Don’t have a chest yet…”

She tried to scream. But the pillow muffled all the sound. He was struggling with his pants, and she heard him grumble over some sort of disappointment.

“Tell me you're a good boy.” Plutt demanded, panting. 

The pressure being exerted on the back of her head let up. She could breathe.

He gently rested his hands on her shoulders. “Say it...say you’re my good boy.”

Something bad was going to happen if she did that. Rey gripped the sheets and screamed.

He hit her. 

The pain was terrible, but not as terrible as what would happen if she stopped screaming.

Another blow.

Coughing between screams. She vomited.

“Stop screaming you bitch”

____________

Kylo let go.

He was trembling. Rey watched his efforts to compose his features, but he couldn’t. Instead he did something very unexpected: he knelt down in front of her, placing his left hand on her thigh and rested his cheek against her knee. “I will order his execution. I will give him any death you desire, but I cannot watch him…” His voice choked. “I cannot watch what will follow.”

Her eyes remained dry. She wondered if he knew how little the Watchers checked on children like her. How only the mark had saved her life. Had she been the boy Unkar Plutt had wanted there would’ve been no life. That she knew.

“He beat me. But...he couldn’t…” She shivered. “There was a time I wished he’d kill me, and maybe he would’ve had the hospital visit not alerted the officials.” She touched Kylo’s head.  _ You don’t get to quit so easily _ . “My mark. My value to the Empire saved my life.”

Taking his proffered hand she realigned their marks.

“Rey…” His eyes moved up to meet hers. “You must know...Children...no matter if they have the mark or not...they do not deserve that. Ask it of me, I’ll do it anyway, but ask me. Let me be the one to kill him.”

“You can’t.” She gave a cold smile. “Because I already did.”

It was time to move on. He didn’t rise, and maybe for now it was as it should be. This was, after all, her pain he was making her endure.

_________________

There was a steady, piercing beat heard as her awareness reformed.

Not dead.

Her eyes opened. Unkar hadn’t killed her. Three years of hell, and she’d thought it was over.

_ Sam--that was his name, wasn’t it--was he alive? _

A kindly old man was staring down at her.

“Hey there.” He smiled. He had a pencil flashlight in his hand and he shone it in her eyes. “Ah, good.”

She tried to rise but her head swam, stopping her attempt.

“Whoa...no jumping out of bed.”

“Where am I?” Rey asked, rubbing her eyes. She stopped in surprise, seeing a plastic mechanism attached to it. When she tried to raise her other hand, she couldn’t.

“St. Carrie’s Pediatric Hospital.” He looked above her head. “You are a lucky girl.”

“Oh.” Rey’s tongue was dry and when she tried to lick her lips she grimaced, feeling a split. She tried to see why she couldn’t move her arm, and found it wrapped up in a heavy cast.

“Can you tell me what happened to you?” He paused. “What you remember?”

“There was a boy.” Rey whispered. Daring a look around for Plutt. “Is he okay?”

“You were found in your backyard alone.” The doctor's pale blue eyes studied her with concern.“Your father-”

“He’s not my dad.”

“Adoptive parental guardian.” He corrected himself upon receiving her bristled response. “He called the medics...or his droid did.”

Rey looked at the ceiling.  _ What could she say?  _ If the boy was lucky he’d taken the silver printed bars she’d given him and ran back to the street where Plutt had found him. Hopefully the money would give him a life. 

She had created a diversion and when the ruse had been discovered, Plutt hadn’t just beat her, he aimed to kill her. She sensed that by the ferocity of which he struck her body. She’d fled, only making it to the backyard before her legs had given out, collapsed on the ground, knowing he’d drag her inside and finish the job. Her eyes focusing on the stars as she heard his footsteps and then nothing else.

“Your fath--Unkar Plutt said someone broke into the house. Stole money and attacked you.”

“I don’t remember.” Rey noticed there was a window to her left and she turned her head towards it to avoid the doctor’s gaze. Rain drizzled against the panes. Which was odd because it had been clear skies when she’d been outside. “How long have I been here?”

He sat on the edge of the bed, making sure to avoid her small body. “Four weeks and two days.”

Her expression must have shown disbelief.

“I don’t believe Plutt’s story.” He said quietly. Her eyes spotted his badge that read Dr. Obi-Kenobi. “The Watchers, have been alerted to check on you. He’ll not get away with abusing you any longer.”

“Do I have to stay with him?”

Dr. Kenobi frown deepened, he instead fidgeted with the stethoscope around his neck. Rey glanced at it, and he followed her gaze. “Would you like to try?” She nodded. He placed the buds in her ear and then the circle over his heart. She listened, fascinated. There was something off though…

“It misses a beat. She tapped the sounds with her fingers. “There, that’s not right.”

“You’re right it isn’t.” The doctor gave her a long look. It wasn’t pity. Rey had seen that from teachers and parents. This was different. It looked like sadness. The kind she saw in picture shows, when a character had lost something they loved. She made to return the stethoscope, but he shook his head. “Keep it.”

“I can’t…” She looked towards her left wrist. “Thanks for helping me.”

“Half the kids in your position would’ve already broke up here.” He said gruffly tapping her forehead. “Now, you have access to the database? The library?”

“Yes…”

“Want to know why my heart beats like that?” He raised an eyebrow. “Download the medical logs, the anatomy picture books, everything you can. One day, I’ll need a good physician. Can’t practice forever, you know.”

Rey gripped the gift. “But when I’m matched…”

“There are still men in this world who would allow you the freedom of a career.”

“But Unkar says-”

“Truths, but not the whole truth.” The doctor’s voice lowered. “Take my stethoscope. Learn child, all you can. There is still hope in this world, and little girls who can become greater than what they are told.”

__________________

  
  


The teacher slapped the test results down on her desk. 

Students edged around in their seats. Rey knew why. They wanted to see if the record had been broken yet. Her stomach clenched. There was no egotistical excitement, no smug smile on her face. Once every six months she tested, just like everyone else. 

The Placement Test. The only test students took. It decided the fates and careers of every citizen of the Empire. At the age of thirteen, Rey and her classmates had been given exams lasting three days. Students wishing to have law degrees studied legal books and criminal history, students wishing to become political officers studied the ins and outs of government history, and students wishing to pursue medicine studied, as Rey did, with every chart they could get their hands on.

The higher aspirations careers started out the same as the mundane. At first the 100 percent had been easy to get; she’d just been naming basic Anatomy. Three tests later, it was Statistics, Cell Biology and Algebra that was leaning towards physics. To become a doctor she had to score 93 percent and higher on each one. This was Rey’s fifth test and on the paper in gold marks the number, 97.

“You did it.” A girl behind her whispered. “You kriffing did it.”

Rey glanced back. Rose Tico sat with elbows on her desk looking at Rey with admiration. Dark wispy hair circled a halo face and her smile held nothing but joy.

“Stupid they even give those to you.” A boy across from Rey grumbled. His test he’d already crumpled. Stringy pale hair and acne made his face a miserable complexion of puberty in progress. “Eighteen coming in a couple years. Tick-tock, tick-tock.” He snorted. 

Rey ignored him, but he threw his balled up placement test at her. She glared, but he chewed on the end of his pencil, letting his eyes roam over her. 

“You anorexic or something? Trying to study the human body, you don’t have to become a skeleton to do it.”

“Leave her alone Travis.” Rose hissed; she’d grabbed the crumpled paper he’d thrown. “33 percent. Did you just circle “C” again all the way through? Even the Stormtrooper program requires a 50 percent.”

Travis made to snatch it. “Better hope Rey’s your soulmate, at least she’ll be able to work and provide for the family. You seem to test at the same level as monkeys and space rocks.”

He bared his teeth and struck Rose, or tried to. 

Rose moved back, and grabbed Travis by the neck, slamming his face down on her desk with a sickening thud that made the entire class go quiet.

The teacher, a short man with a sprout of hair that made him look like a historical Friar Tuck, looked up from his desk. He’d been letting the students have a few minutes to themselves. He dropped the magazine he'd been scrolling through as he hurriedly straightened his posture .

“What’s this?” He looked their way, flustered. 

Travis held his nose, which was gushing blood. “Rose--They attacked me.”

_ Jerk, _ Rey thought, resigned to the fact that she'd been roped into it out of spite. She didn’t care, other than the specks of blood on her exam. She moved next to Rose and grabbed her arm, leading her to their expectant teacher. The consequences of the outburst were inevitable, and they quickly approached their doom. 

An hour later Rose helped bandage Rey’s right wrist. The red welts from the whipping-stick had broken open on Rey’s skin. 

“Sorry.” Rose’s smile was gone. “I-I should’ve just let that nerf-herder hit me.”

“They’d have only suspended him a day.” Rey reminded. “Now he’ll have a swollen nose and black eye for pictures.”

“He’s so ugly it don’t matter.” Rose finished and looked around the small room they were locked in. “When they bring lunch you can have mine.”

“Oh...that’s okay. I’m-”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but you don’t strike me as someone who’d starve themselves voluntarily.”

Rey shrugged. “It’s better than before. I don’t mind the hunger.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “You can live with me.”

There was silence for a few minutes. They heard the door start to unlock. They’d gotten out of their original pose which was kneeling. Returning to it, they waited.

“How did you…” Rey glanced at the white door, watching it open and a woman in uniform set two trays down, before slamming it shut. “How did you know how to do that move?”

Rose grabbed the metal tins--both at once with her hands--carefully balancing them to prevent an accident as she made her way over. “I don’t know why they think the bland diet helps penance.” She set them on the ground in front of Rey with an unconcerned clank. “Want to join Parade?”

Rey took a piece of dry toast. The water helped wash it down. She tried to eat slowly, when all she wanted to do was gorge. She shrugged. “I’d rather study.”

“Shame. My mom teaches the class.”

“Really?” Rey wiped her mouth and started on the boiled egg. “Your dad lets her work?”

“Yep.”

Rose scooted closer. “Now, Baton is my favorite.” She grabbed the water bottle, flipped it up and caught it behind her back. Then did it again and caught it inches in front of Rey’s shocked face before rolling it on her arm, then back to an upright position on the floor. “Just think what that dexterity will do...when you become a doctor.”

Rey smiled and grabbed the water bottle. “I’ll sign up.”

“So...you gonna live with me or what?”

“I can’t, Unkar, my guardian won’t go for it.”

Rose snorted. “How about this, you stay with me till he tells you to come home?”

They were back on their knees. Waiting for the bell to ring. 

“What would you do if you got Travis?” Rey said, looking at Rose’s mark. 

“No man is going to hurt me.” Rose slipped her hand into Rey’s. “No man is going to hurt you either.”

_______________

  
  


“Rose. Let me go ahead.” Rey tried to keep her voice down in front of the apartment complex. “It’s not good for the baby.”

Rose wasn’t listening. They’d been sitting at Rey’s house, now hers, since the death of her guardian, Unkar Plutt, when they’d received a frantic phone call.

“Paige, she doesn’t beg, not like that.” 

“We could call-”

Rose stopped, whirling to face her on the top step. “Who? The Republic’s guard? It’s her husband attacking her…” Her voice lowered. “They’ll not intervene.”

A scream. A loud high piercing cry that froze Rey’s blood. 

The door was unlocked. Paige’s husband was a cargo driver and an alcoholic.

A chair was knocked over, and kids toys lay scattered on the floor. The small bassinet was on its side. If he hurt the kids...that could get him arrested. Rey heard a commotion in the kitchen.

“Give me the boy.” A man snarled. 

“No...Victor. I won’t.”

It was Paige.

Rose was already in the kitchen. Rey stepped inside to find chaos.

Victor stood over his wife and two children on the floor. Paige’s face was swollen. Her right eye already closed. A small boy clutched her shirt. A baby who was sleeping (or Rey prayed the infant was sleeping) was in a sling around her shoulder. The table lay overturned and it was within the small space inside of it that the mother and children hid.

“Get away from her!” Rose screamed. 

Rey managed to grab her best friend before she could launch her eight-month pregnant body at the offending spouse.

Victor, seeing an audience, advanced on them. Rey quickly stepped in front to guard Rose, making sure her body shielded an attack. She held up her wrist bearing the mark. His raised fist stilled in the air. He was in a rage, but not one so blind that he didn’t consider what would happen if he hit someone else’s-albeit unclaimed soulmate. 

“This is a family matter, get out.” He pointed towards the doorway behind them.

“He’s going to take Cody.” Paige sobbed. “My son. He can’t take my son.”

“Quiet you god-damn cunt.” Victor snapped, stepping on glass as he moved back towards her. “He don’t have the mark like Johanna does. We’ll get a stipend if we send him straight into the Imperial guard program.”

“They’ll take his memories.” Paige dark locks hung limply around her face. The small boy nestled closer, trying to hide inside the umbrella of her neck and hair. “He won’t know who we are.”

“Better that he forget us. Two bedrooms won’t seem so small. The Watchers at school made us the offer. He has the build and aptitude. The stipend is bigger than my check.”

“He’s your son.” Rose voice was low. “Cody, your first born. Me and Finn can help...if its money.”

“I don’t want your money.” Victor spat. “You’re a resistance supporter. Bet you think I don’t know. Finn in law school, letting you work, allowing you to go on birth control to finish college. Lucky I even let Paige visit. Funny how my wife’s first prints got lost in the system. Whole year for a random audit to find them.”

Rey stepped forward, trying to hide her anger, her disgust. “Victor, please. Let’s reason. I’m rich, I’m _very_ _very_ rich. I’ll give you a stipend that will be five times as much as they offered. I’ll give you a house.” She held her hands out in supplication. “Whatever you want, just ask.”

Victor’s face softened. He stepped towards Rey. A ruddy man with red cheeks from drinking and a nose that at some point in his life had been broken, he was twenty-five going on a hard forty. Something malevolent rested in his expression, even as he appeared to smile in a friendly manner. The same evil, Rey thought that Plutt used to radiate before he struck the cruelest blow.

“Yes you are rich. A woman who owns a house, and land, and a thriving business on top of being on the medical path. I heard Plutt had a sudden heart attack.” Victor grinned, but it was all teeth. “What’s your specialty, cardiology? Isn’t that convenient.”

“My adoptive father was close to four hundred pounds, not that it matters. Hardly convenient; more overdue.” Rey kept her voice even. “Regardless, I, being his daughter, have acquired his wealth. Let’s work something out.” 

Victor, however, wasn’t going to take the bait. He’d closed the distance between them. Rey could see the broken blood vessels in his cheek and smell the vodka on his breath. 

“I don’t want your money.” He hissed. “You think you’re better than me, woman?”

“No...I want to help-”

“Shut-up. I can’t hit you. But today. Today, I’m going to enjoy watching you learn your place. I hope it burns in your memory. Who’s in charge. Who will always be in charge.”

There was a sound at the door, footsteps. 

“Ah, just in time.” Victor smiled, his eyes strayed to Rose whose face paled. She was looking at something Rey couldn’t see.

“You already called them?” Rose moved, but Rey moved quicker. 

The white masks came in first. Two guards and a man in a gray uniform following behind. 

The man in gray had thinning hair that he absently brushed aside from his face as he gazed around the room. “We always advise sedation, before extraction. Didn’t you give your wife the medication?”

Victor shook his head. “Sorry, she spit out Sir.”

The officer sighed. “Always messy this way. I guess it can’t be helped.” He glanced at Rose and Rey. “Interference is ill-advisable. You may comfort the mother after, but till then I must ask that you stay in the kneeling pose for our safety and yours, till we leave.”

“I won’t.” Rose’s hand tried to break Rey’s grasp. “Paige didn’t agree to this. She didn’t agree.” She managed to slip Rey’s hold and grab the man’s sleeve who withdrew it with an irritated yank. Rose raised her fist, just before Rey caught it.

The officer took note of Rose’s swollen belly. “Hormonal and almost due. We’ll blame that, and let the offense go.” He pointed to the ground. “You don’t want to lose your unborn child to the correctional program, now would you? Striking a high ranking officer would merit such action."

Rey, knowing the battle was over, grasped Rose firmly and forced her to a bent knee position. “We can’t win this one. I love you. I’m so sorry.” She hugged her friend tight, and even tighter when Paige started screaming again. The baby woke, but it was Cody who’s wails pierced the room.

“MOM” The small voice begged. “MOM, Don’t let them take me! MOMMM!”

“I love you.” Paige wailed. “I love you...Don't!” Please let me kiss him goodbye!” 

Rey clutched Rose's shaking body. She couldn’t watch. She found herself burying her face into her like the little boy had done with his mother. Feeling Rose scream in grief into her chest. 

A moment later the room was quiet. Rose broken crawled to her sister. Paige had made it as far as the kitchen threshold. The baby whimpered, its small mouth trying to root at her breast. Paige was in shock; Rey would check on her later.

Victor was in the living room, smoking. The sound of his son must have had some effect because his hands trembled as he took a drag. When he saw her, he sneered. Rey slapped him hard. The butt of the cigarette flew out of his mouth and landed on the couch. He tried to raise his hand, but she grasped his neck and pushed him against the wall, hard enough to crack the cheap varnish.

“You fucking coward.” He tried to break free, but for all his vices and wiry frame, he did not have the strength to combat the sheer rage in her chokehold. “Maybe Plutt died naturally, maybe he didn’t. Do you really want to find out?”

“I’ll tell...I knew it.” He sputtered. “I-”

She leaned close to his half-shaven face, her mouth next to his ear. “You could...but you won’t. You will never touch your wife again. In any way. And should she want another child, you miserable piece of shit, you will take care of the child, regardless of the mark.” 

He was whimpering.

“If I hear otherwise.” Rey pressed on his throat harder, watching his face turn red. “I promise you, the next men who show up will take you someplace terrifying. Oh they won’t kill you. Of course not. But you’ll wish you were dead,” she whispered. “And you don’t look like a man who tolerates pain well.” She hit him hard with her knee in his groin dropping him.

He blaunched. “You-you GET OUT.” Tears streamed from his eyes, but it was all fear in his voice. “GET OUT”

Rey knew she’d won. She left the small apartment. When she was outside, she walked almost zombie-like till she rounded a corner and found herself downtown. People bustled around her. A droid walked a dog. Men in suits chatted and gave her a once over. She froze, unable to go another step. The scenery blurred in her vision. People gave her curious stares. 

“Wake up.” She screamed. A few pedestrians paused. “God-damn it. Wake up.”

She sunk to her knees, and put her fist in her mouth to stifle another outburst. Her shoulders sagged. A droid stopped and asked her if he could call her a cab. She declined. No one else paid her any mind. Perhaps they didn’t care, or as Rey’s shuddering became sobs, they were afraid to.

____________

Rey let go of Kylo’s wrist. The well she could pull from was deep, but this was all she could bear. Exhausted, she noticed he’d risen from his supine position, his fingers absently stroking her hair.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “I would not ask that of you again.”

She tasted salt on her lip, and made to wipe her eyes, but Kylo brushed them away gently. He left and brought her back a bottle of water. When he handed it to her, he waited for her to take a long sip before he spoke.

“The resistance, cannot change things as you hope.” 

“You don’t know that.” Rey gripped the bottle. 

He checked something from the pilot seat; when satisfied, he returned to her.

“Even as a young boy, I saw the cracks in the Resistance ideology. Just as you saw the cracks in The Empire’s.” 

“Cracks?” she laughed bitterly. “Is that what you call taking-”

He held a hand up. “Chaos, cannot fix order. Should the resistance win, it would not know what to do with the victory.” He looked out the sole window at the stars. “With you, we could change things. The Emperor remains fixated on the birth rate, on the reason for keeping such laws. No matter how cruel.”

“I don’t understand?” Rey set the water down. “The soulmate mark allows children...and biologically seems to favor males in allowing them to override the will of their counterpart.”

“Rey, we’ve in a short time done more than any soulmate. We’ve established the bond in the world between worlds. I can conjure you at will, we can pass items between us. And…” He paused. “Unwrap your wrist.”

Puzzled, but he kept his silence till she reluctantly obeyed. Cringing when the blood soaked cloth peeled off. It had clotted, but the wound was ugly. It needed antibiotics and stitches. Kylo held his hand out, indicating for her to allow him to take it.

“Going to play doctor?” she smirked. “If you have a med kit I can probably sew it up.”

“Shhh…” He placed his mark over it, then closed his eyes. 

“You didn’t strike me as one of those faith healers…” she mumbled. The skin started itching and then: “Hey, stop that hurts!” 

His grip tightened. “Hush,” he admonished, with the hint of a smile. “You’re being a difficult patient.”

The burn flared, but Rey felt something behind it, like when in residency she’d been taught to set a bone, the feeling of things coming together. Her interest piqued she winced, but kept still. When he removed his wrist above hers, the skin was pink, without even a scar.

Her mouth was ajar. She stood up. “How did you do that?” Touching her mark. “Could you do that on someone else? Have you ever done that before?”

“No.” He stepped close. “Up until now, it had been hypothetical.” 

Her hand went to his chest. Wanting to push him back, but hesitated on his shirt. Confused at herself, she closed her eyes. 

He tipped her chin. “I will not make light of your pain, nor ask you to forgive me the world you’ve had to endure. There is so much to tell you, and so little time.”

He kissed her and she let him. It wasn’t quite passive, but she didn’t protest. It didn’t last long. Instead he seemed to understand: she wasn’t quite there yet. He offered her to sit. Then crossed his mark with her own. 

Rey wondered if it would matter in the end. 

Kylo hadn’t pressed into any memory she’d not given. He didn’t know that in the morning Luke would air the first of many videos she’d been asked to make.

Her voice calling for the rise of the resistance.


	11. Chapter 11

There was a little girl in his room. She had skin the color of coffee, and hair that was in two braids down lay across her shoulder. Ben was pretty sure she was his age, six, maybe younger.

“Hey, who are you?” Ben said quietly raising his head from the pillow.

“Juniper,” she squinted looking his way. “But my momma calls me June-bug.”

Visitors were not uncommon, nor kids tagging along with them. Ben sat up; he was sleeping in a bed big enough it could fit two, and the girl looked tired. He wondered if she’d stay long enough he could have a friend for awhile.

There was a shadow behind her, and she let out a squeak.

“Hey kid, don’t mean to scare you. Just making sure you found the room okay.” Han Solo knelt down so he was eye level with her. 

Ben noticed his father’s clothing was dirty. His shirt torn, and something else…

“Dad is that blood?” He jumped out of bed, padding his feet quickly across the floor. It was then that he heard a moaning sound. “Where’s mom?” 

His father’s arm stopped him before he could fly out to the living room. “She’s fine.” His dad didn’t let go. “Son, I need you to stay in the room with Junie-”

“Juniper.” The little girl corrected, she wandered over to where Ben kept his toys and was about to grab the model of his dad’s plane he’d spent meticulous hours on on.

“Hey, don’t touch-”

“Son” His dad whispered. “I know this might be...I shouldn’t ask, you’re so young.”

Ben heard the moans, calling a name. He couldn’t hear what exactly was being said, but the voice sounded feminine. The little girl smiled at him and then sat down with the toy. Ben looked at his father. “It’s her mom, isn’t it?”

His father had never been able to hide an emotion. Ben wondered how a smuggler with honest eyes ever lived this long. His dad glanced over his shoulder at the child. “Don’t let her come out of this room, Ben. No matter what you hear.”

“Promise.”

With his father gone, Ben shut the door quietly, and noticed the girl had already broken a piece off the ship. She tried sticking it back on. When he sat down across from her, she set the model down.

“Sorry...I tried to be careful.”

He took it and assessed the damage. “Don’t worry, my Dad’s Millennium Falcon loses stuff all the time. Probably looks closer to the real thing now.”

She smiled, but her eyes drifted to the shut door.

“Hey, I’ve been reading Irish lore. Stories about fairies and leprechauns.” Ben pulled a large picture book from the top of his dresser. His mother had brought it, and he’d barely glanced at it when he’d seen that it didn’t involve soldiers and warfare.

“I love unicorns.”

“Me too.” Ben lied and opened the book. “This book has one...I think.”

Ben read her every story. He realized she couldn’t read the words yet, so he added in a unicorns throughout, regardless of plot.

She yawned. “Mom’s...gonna have a baby. But I think it's early.”

“Oh...well that’s cool. I always wanted a sibling.” He stood up and pulled the blankets back on his bed, watching her rub her eyes. “Bet in the morning, you’ll have a fairy or leprecon.” He kidded.

“Can we play pretend tomorrow?” She crawled into the bed. “I liked the one with the Princess...you can be the-”

“Prince?” Ben sighed.

“Unicorn.” she giggled.

“Fine. Ben the Unicorn.”

“Can’t be Ben...Ben is my dad’s name.” She wrinkled her nose. “Kyland was the prince in the story. You can be Kyland.”

“Eh..can I just be Ky?”

“Kylo?”

“Kylo the Unicorn…” He grumbled climbing next to her. 

She smiled shyly. “No...I’ll let you be the prince.”

There was a loud scream. Than another. Juniper’s eyes widened. “Maybe, I should go-”

“I’m still going to call you Juniper.” Ben diverted her attention. “The Princess name was Myrtle, and yours is prettier.”

“No one calls me Juniper. It’s always June-Bug or Junie.”

“Well then I’ll be the only one.” Ben smiled, cringing when the screams turned to wails. 

“My mom taught me a song.” Juniper’s eyes were bright. “I think it’s Irish.”

“You sing it first, than.” Ben pulled the covers around her shoulder. “I’ll sing it to you tomorrow.”

She nestled down in the covers. Gave a little cough.

Her small voice was sweet even if it wasn’t refined. He’d never heard the song before, but it was beautiful.

“Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows. Fair is the lily of the valley. Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne. But my love is fairer than any. 

Twas down by Killarney’s green woods that we strayed. When the moon and the stars they were shining. The moon shone its rays on her locks of golden hair and she swore she’d be my love forever.

It’s not for the parting that my sister pains. It’s not for the grief of my mother. Tis all for the loss of my bonny Irish lass. That my heart is breaking forever.”

Juniper finished the song, and slept. When he was sure she wouldn’t wake, he slid out of bed.

The house was silent. It was a three bedroom one level space, with a large living room. He was able to creep towards it, without being noticed. He heard his father’s angry voice.

“How could you allow this?”

“He wasn’t supposed to take any risk.” His mother lashed back. “He’s done that route a hundred times.”

“Bullshit. I wouldn’t have flown that route. Not with your life hanging in the balance, and definitely not when you were pregnant with Ben.”

“Don’t go noble. It doesn’t look good on you.”

Ben crawled on all fours till he could peek behind the couch. A fire in the hearth was the only light, and it cast the shadow of three people. His heart sank. Juniper would not get a sibling.

“Damn it. What was so important?” Han’s was putting a blanket over the still form on the floor. 

Leia sank to her knees. Her anger gone. “I told him to stay. We’d cracked a code, one that gave us the location of some of the star bases and their respective shipment plans. The naval base is in a location that we could potentially stop it, and-”

“I get it.” Han’s voice softened. “That poor fighter’s plane wasn’t just shot down, it was ambushed. Which means, we got a spy…”

“I know.” Leia’s voice broke. “I sent you that SOS, thinking maybe you could get here in time and take her to a hospital, save the baby at least. Usually the bond takes two weeks to take effect, but she started bleeding, and they brought her to the house.”

“I don’t think lightspeed would’ve saved her, princess.” His said gently. “Those two women will be back soon. Chewie and I can ah...we can make the box. Should we make two...or-Hell, I hate this.” He stood up. “What about her daughter?”

“She has an aunt. I’ll arrange transportation and-”

“Let her stay awhile. It’ll be good for Ben.”

“Are you sure it was an ambush?”

“Who else knew about it?”

“Only a handful, and they’re loyal.”

“Which one?” He growled.

“Come on, you can’t expect me to just pinpoint the spy. It could be someone on the outside, who might of bugged an office or-”

“God-damn it, Leia, you know as well as I do, that’s not what happened.”

“I’ve known them all my life-”

“He’ll leave soon...or she. I can catch them before they go. Gut instinct, right now, who is it?’

Ben heard nothing, but the fire crackle and pop. He was almost sure his mother wouldn’t answer when her voice finally whispered a name.

“Wyles Mors. His soulmates in Faction 5. He’d talked about finding her, and convincing her to join.”

Hans rose. “Sometimes I think the resistance, is going to lose because no one can strike hard when half their heart might be sitting in enemy territory.” He let out a breath. “What are we doing, are we really winning?”

“Hans-”

“Sorry. I gotta go. Tell Ben, I’ll stay next time.”

“Always do.”

Ben snuck back to the room. The girl roused when he lay beside her.

“So do I have a brother or sister?”

Ben was glad it was dark. He swallowed hard. 

“Brother. You got a brother.”

He took her hand. She smiled and fell back asleep. It wasn’t a lie he thought. He just didn’t say “older” in front of brother.

___________________

Ben stared at the pieces on the chessboard. Seeing not just his move, but every move after. He was going to lose in three turns. He observed the trap and it irked him to no end, because this is game 265, and he hasn’t won yet. 

“My dear boy, I think that knight would burst into flames if you looked at it any harder.” Snoke, his philosophy teacher, and perhaps his stand-in parent at the Academy, chided.

Ben reached out and moved the only way he could. Watching, knowing what will follow. When Snoke toppled his king, he leaned back in his chair and sighed, defeated.

“Lucky me.” Snoke adjusted a round cap atop his head. He was older than Han Solo, and his blue eyes had a way of stripping Ben down everytime they look at him. “Again?”

Ben wondered if the game would end forever when he won. Perhaps they would move on to something else. It was a respite from life that Ben enjoyed: they discussed his day, tactics of warfare and even the resistance, though Snoke tended to have undertones of negativity towards it. 

The Academy located in Australia wasn’t part of the resistance, but they allowed haven, and a stronghold for those associated with it. The Academy housed many of the resistance children.

“It’s not luck.” Ben said, putting his pieces back to their starting place. “The game is based on choice. The poorest player cannot conceal their weakness.”

Snoke nodded, clearly pleased. “I used to beat you in less than fifteen moves. Now it takes close to forty. You draw out the battle.”

“But it’s not enough.” Ben decided to try an English opening and set his knights behind his pawns. “I only prolong the defeat. I feel the end has been decided in the first move.”

Snoke smiled. “The first game we played, you fought like your father.”

“My dad would’ve caused a diversion and moved the pieces around.” Ben muttered.

“You played strictly by emotion. No strategy. You moved only in response to what I took.” Snoke moved his own knight. “Now you have a strategy, you can see your own defeat, and it is your mother who plays against me.”

Ben glanced up from the pawn he intended to threaten Snoke’s knight with, about to argue, but then he looked at the board. Already knowing Snoke’s moves, that soon he’d force him into a corner and…

He moved the pawn back to its spot. This time he opened his king up. Snoke studied the diversion, but gave nothing away. Ben lost his queen in two moves, but he forced Snoke’s rooks into defence. For the first time he was able to say check.

It didn't work; five moves later Snoke had him.

“Checkmate.”

Ben knocked his king over.

“You finally played the game.” Snoke said, waving a hand over it. “You finally saw your true enemy on the chessboard.”

“Myself.” Ben admitted.

“Now, you can beat me.” Snoke rose. “But not today, son.”

A sharp, over the top knock at the door began playing out a rhythm. The two were in the study hall and during lunch hour most students were outside, or in the cafeteria. When the door opened, Ben smiled.

“Hey Juniper.” 

Snoke gave her a small bow, and offered his chair. “I’ll leave you two be. I fear I’d be an unwanted third wheel.”

Ben reached down and grabbed his lunch he’d left by his foot. “Tomorrow?” He ventured to Snoke for a rematch. The old man tipped his cap and took his exit. 

“You ever just kind of get a hackle raised from that guy?” Juniper asked, eyeing Ben’s brown lunch bag.

Ben rolled his eyes, fishing out the small bag of M&M’s, then slid the sweet to her. “One of these days I’ll eat one and find out if I even like them.” He grumbled while watching her rip the yellow paper open.

“So, you win yet?” She popped two of the candies in her mouth, then adjusted her voluminous hair piled on her head with one of the many hair ties she always keeps on her wrist. At thirteen she was beginning to look like the woman she’ll become. He tried not to notice her wearing a tanktop with a lace bra. It’s not like she was going to wear shirts with kittens on them forever.

“When will you play me?” He motioned towards the board.

“We played once. I moved one piece. You explained how you were going to beat me.” She waved a hand dismissively. “So...” Juniper grabbed his arm. “I have a date.”

“Like on the calendar?”

“Haha...remember Cristopherson?”

“How can I forget, he goes by his full name-”

“He’s going to be an actor--it’s his thing--he wants to have it singular.”

“He’s arrogant. You could do better.” He moved the game back to the shelf. “It’s not the Hearts and Spades dance, is it?”

“Yes, and for the record, you’re arrogant.” Crossing her arms, she gave him one of her “don’t pretend you know everything” looks. Which usually is spot on.

“Mysterious and brooding.” He tapped her head playfully. “Isn’t that what all those romance books you read want?” He ducked when she snapped a hair tie at him, before opening the door for her. “Back to you. Are you going to dress up?”

“Of course.” She grabbed his arm as they walked down the hallway to the next period. Ben was already a foot taller than most, and Juniper barely reached his shoulder. “You?”

“Of course.”

“Really?”

“No.”

“Figures, are you even going?” She paused by her locker, opening it with her palm print. 

“Now I have to. Christoph-with-the-too-long-name, is two years older than you, and I don’t like him.”

“He’s a year older than you.” She grabbed her tablet.

“I’ll just stand in a corner. You won’t even notice me.”

“Believe me, everyone notices you. You have a...presence.”

The bell rang.

“Hey, um…” She paused which made a student with a green jacket and holding holographic projection board veer wildly around her, almost dropping it. A volcano on the board gave a rumble before shooting lava up in the air. The kid shouted a curse and tried to reprogram it back to the original setting.

Ben watched it and shook his head. “I made that in first grade.”

“So your mom’s visiting in two weeks...like an official visit.” Juniper kept her voice nonchalant, but Ben could see right through her. “You excited? It’s been-”

“One year, two months and three weeks in a few days.” He looked towards the kid who now had his projection back to the dormant phase. “If you want to count my father, add six months.”

Juniper bit her lip afterwards, no doubt hearing the bitterness in his voice. Ben knew she meant well. He had parents. She had an aunt who collected dead butterflies. He tried to make his next words sound light.

“Hey, I get to see her on the news all the time. She’s doing another peace talk next week in London.”

“I wish it was Scotland.” Juniper said wistfully.

Having reached her Geology class, Ben was irritated to see Christopherson holding a spot open for her. The guy even dressed like he was famous. A faux leather jacket complete with sunglasses that he was wearing  _ inside _ .

“I take it back, he’s not arrogant, he’s an idiot.”

“Shh....He’s going to be prince charming. Well dress like a Keltic prince charming. Don’t ruin it please.”

“I thought I was-”

“You, have been reduced back to don’t-get-involved-unicorn.”

Ben kept the door open till Juniper sat down, making sure to stare a hole through Christopherson’s sunglasses with a warning look that probably made the guy happy he had them on.

________________

Leia Organa pushed a small bundle across the table. It was wrapped in blue paper with a comically larger than needed white bow. Ben took it.  _ Did it contain a child’s toy?  _ The memory of their parting made him ponder if she thought the boy she’d left at the door was still sitting in front of her.

He’d wondered if he’d feel anger, joy, or maybe even sadness at seeing her again. Instead he felt apathy. Trying to smile, he tore at the paper. When opened he found a black suit with silver cufflinks.

“They told me you had a dance tomorrow.” His mother patted the suit. “I-I thought you might like it. If you go with Junie-”

“It’s a costume party. Juniper is my sister.  _ Family. _ ” He said the last part sharp enough that she flinched. “Thank you, for the gift.”

“I taught you to dance.” His mother smiled. “You started with your feet on my own, and you were so cute when you tried to lead.”

“The approach to the New Energy deal isn’t going to work.” Ben tapped the table. “You’re being too passive. The Empire isn’t going to give up such a valuable resource of synthetic alloy for the wind turbines, for nothing.”

“You’ve been following that on the news?” His mother tried to brush his hair and he moved out of her reach. He tried to ignore the hurt in her eyes. “I’m not sure your source.” She gave a wink. “But we have another meeting next week, and it promises-”

“They’re toying with you. Chances are it's not even about the deal, just an excuse to allow them access to parliament. The man you’re dealing with is Officer Nystan, he’s in his early thirties, a career man. From the records I found, he’s never spent one day dealing with shipping, materials, or inventory. He also had authored and published several articles about the death rate and moral decline of separated soulmates. He’s a man of statistics and logic. He’ll no doubt use what he’s acquired to try once again to convince neutral parties to open their database for the Empire’s unmatched citizens.”

His mother regarded him shrewley. “For fourteen, you talk like you’re thirty.”

“For being a supposed general, you negotiate like a foot soldier.”

Her hands, Ben thought, always showed her age, maybe that’s why she decorated them with gaudy rings and wore large bracelets to cover her thin wrist. She fidgeted with a ring now, her way of trying to gain a minute to deal with a son, she didn’t know.

“And sending the envoy away would solve nothing.” She said at last.

“You want to build wind turbines? You can get the metal and more if you use the advantage that you  _ have _ as the leverage it  _ is _ .”

“People’s fingerprints are not leverage.”

“Not everyone wants to stay in this city, alone, without their other half.” Ben snapped. “Many want families, not that you would understand.”

“Ben, that’s not true-”

There was a commotion starting outside. The two were sitting at a private table area, just outside the boys dorm room. His mother had come with guards, which Ben had thought odd, as in all their travel she’d never needed them before.

“Just a word, please.” A man shouted. “I need to speak with her.”

His mother rose, walking towards the voice. Ben followed.

The guards blocked the way, but a short man with a crumpled gray shirt, cargo pants, and military grade boots fought against them. Snoke had arrived, and he met Ben’s gaze before stepping behind the fighting man. He set a hand on his shoulder, speaking softly to him.

“Ezra is it? Your boy was in my class a few years ago. What is the meaning of disturbing a mother and son’s reunion?”

The man, seeing he had his audience, went to his knees.

“Please, I don’t have much time. The Empire has my children. They...my wife was sick. She had a sister in Faction 17. There was a better cancer research center. She had a green card, but the treatment, it made her ill. The card lapsed and they took our kids into custody.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Surely your wife, when she gets better can petition-”

“She’s dead. She died two days ago. My records as a fighter pilot make me unable to travel. Her sister called and told me my sons have been taken to the correctional center.”

Leia clasped her hands together giving him a small bow. “The resistance, and my powers that I have in negotiation, will do what we can to aid you.”

“No, we must attack. Break them out. Once they give my boys the pills, they’ll forget, they’ll be…” His voice faltered and it was then that he saw Ben standing in the back.

“Would you not save your own son? Would you not use all the force at your disposal to break him out?”

Snoke helped the man up. “Hardly fair, Leia has given you her word. She’ll  _ talk _ .” He tried to get the man to follow him. 

“Talking isn’t enough. You get my boys out or I’ll make sure you don’t forget me-”

“Enough.” Snoke grabbed him by the collar. The philosophy teacher was close to 6’5 and he easily lifted the man off his toes. “Threatening, will not get you anything, but a cell.”

Snoke set the man down. Ezra straightened his shirt, before giving them all one last glare, striding out.

Ben stepped next to his mother. “Call a meeting, hint at the possibility of releasing our database of fingerprints. It doesn’t have to be more than that to secure his children’s safety. Also on their counsel is-”

“Enough.” His mother turned on him angrily. “Reading a few reports doesn’t make you a leader.”

“Clearly the years you have on me haven’t made you one either.”

Her mouth opened, but he wasn’t listening.

“It was nice seeing you again, mother. This time next year?”

“Ben-please, I have another hour.”

“You scheduled your only son in for two hours? How kind of you. Allow me to free up your schedule.”

She was calling his name, but he moved towards where Snoke had gone. Hearing his name, he didn’t turn around. Vowing the next time he saw her, he’d be in a position for her to listen.

_________________________

  
  


The suit fit. He had to admit it brought out his best features. Several girls had asked him to dance. But, he wasn’t here for them. A droid DJ’d, playing every love-sick musical tune invented by man, Ben thought dryly.

Juniper was in an emerald green dress. Her long hair was braided much like the first time he’d seen her, except the two braids had peonies and sprigs of holly woven in. Her counterpart was wearing a pillowy white shirt, a kilt. Ben thought his bare legs looked abnormally scrawny in all the material he surrounded himself with. He wore a cape that drug on the floor, because it was meant for someone of Ben’s size.

He tried to ignore how Christopherson’s hands tended to stray off Juniper’s shoulders when they slow danced. Twice her date had looked his way and then the straying hands had stayed put. 

A girl dressed as a mermaid came up to Ben. “Keep thinking you’re some kind of holographic security prop. You don’t move, you don’t blink…” she shrugged. “You don’t dance.”

“I think I spotted someone dressed as a starfish, couldn’t tell gender.” He shrugged. “If you’re hoping for the nautical themed dance partner.”

“I’m into droids.”

He for the first time gave her his full attention, to find her laughing at him.

“Made you blink.”

She was pretty. Frizzy yellow hair that looked almost as wild as her costume. She’d dusted her skin with blue glitter and her tail was lavender flecked with specks of amethyst rhinestones. He almost wished he hadn’t sworn off dancing. He’d told so many girls no, for one reason or another, he hardly wanted a dozen angry eyes watching him, even if it might be worth it.

“Sorry, I’m not dancing, because-”

She waved him off. “I’d say no. You aren’t my type.”

“You can’t be serious about the droids.”

“I like men…” She flicked her fingers under her chin. “Not boys who don’t swim after a pretty mermaid clearly lost at sea.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Greenhouse is unlocked outside. If you happen to want to get your feet wet.”

She swashed away. Ben swallowed. He glanced around the gym that had been turned into a make-shift dance platform, trying to find Juniper. Her and Christopherson were missing. Frowning, he strode to the most probable place, the two doors that went outside.

The air was warm. The moon was almost full, and it bathed the outside in a soft glow that let him see the track field grounds easily.

He heard her before he saw her.

“I-I just said just kissing ...now let go.”

The track and bleachers were within his line of sight and he saw her there in her dress billowed around her sitting on the bottom of one of the metal steps.

Christopherson’s hands were not on her shoulders, and a moment later they were raised to stop a fist coming towards his face.

Ben didn’t hit him a second time. Considering the way Christopherson screamed and took off running, he probably didn’t have to hit him the first time.

Disgusted, Ben watched him run back inside the gym. “You okay?” Turning to look at Juniper, only to find an angry finger in his face.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“You’re right, I should’ve let you do it.”

She paused her finger, and he gave her an apologetic lower lip pout. 

“You’re smoulder doesn’t work on me, besides what happened to being the obnoxious unicorn in the corner?” Juniper patted his cheek, giving it a playful smack.

Ben noticed Christopherson had left his cloak. He bent down and grabbed it, twirling it around his shoulders and tying it. When he was done he held his hand out to her. “The part of the unicorn has been given to my understudy. Complete with a lump to help him play the part.” He winked. “Could I not play Kylo, my lady?”

She giggled and took it. “Dance is almost over. Don’t you want to follow a mermaid?”

“Not yet. I believe my little sister needs to end the night on a good note.”

“We don’t have music, and you can’t dance.”

“Not true, on either part.” He placed her hands correctly and then started a step. “Someone taught me a song years ago.”

He managed to keep the melody to their steps, only changing the lines when it came to her hair and instead sang. “...her locks of raven hair.” Which made Juniper blush. But on the last lines he twirled her and stopped, kissing her hand.

Juniper smiled and started walking to the gym. “Arrogance, will always be your weakness,” she teased. When he raised an eyebrow, she placed her fist on her hips. “Only you would think you could change the ending, just by not saying the words. It’s a sad song. That’s okay. It’s still beautiful.”

Kylo kissed her cheek. “Somehow, you always seem older, how is that? Will you be oka-”

“I’ll be fine.” She pointed towards the path that led to the greenhouse a distance away. “Now go. Try not to drown.”

It was his turn to blush, but her back was already to him. 

The green house was empty. He didn’t know her name, so he had nothing to call, and shouting “Mermaid”, just seemed ridiculous. He noticed blue glitter and a few amethysts scattered by the shuttered tulips and white lilies. Apparently his mermaid had gotten tired of waiting, developed legs and walked out. 

It was probably for the better. She looked like she had more idea what to do than he did.

Halfway towards the door, the boards of the greenhouse started to shake, there was a tinkling, reverberating sound on the glass. Ben lifted his head up and saw what looked to be the underside of a plane.

_ Too low. That plane is too low. _

Everything went black.

He awoke to glass shattered all around him. The air was acidic with smoke and the smell of fuel. His lungs burned with each inhale of breath. 

With shaky legs he got to his feet. Billows of black smoke rose where the Academy should have been. The heat radiated relentlessly; it was a furnace.

“Juniper!”

“JUNIPER! ”

He was screaming. Coughing and screaming her name.

It was an inferno. He didn’t care. He’d run into it and find her.

“Son.”

Ben turned; through the inky blackness a tall figure approached.

“You can’t save her.”

Snoke emerged from the smoke.

“Juniper!” He screamed. When he tried to advance, the old man’s gnarled hands gripped him tightly.

“She’s dead.”

Ben tried to take a swing. Snoke easily sidestepped it. He stepped in Ben’s path when he tried again. His voice remained steady as he tried to reason.

“A fighter pilot plane hit the school.”

Snoke’s face was ash streaked, his clothing singed from the embers that spiraled down, blanketing the earth. Ben watched as what had once been his home, creaked and groaned as the fire didn’t burn so much as consume the building.

“The Empire?” Ben spat. “Did they attack?”

Snoke’s blue eyes held pity. “The Empire doesn’t attack children. This is the work of a madman.”

Ben knew. “Ezra.” 

Snoke looked shocked. “Oh my dear boy.”

The heat blasted his skin. The truth burned worse. “He meant to kill me, because of my mother.”

“You cannot blame yourself.” Snoke rasped. “His grief at the resistance-”

“The resistance killed Juniper.” Ben sunk to his knees. “They killed her.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Don’t I? My mother doesn’t know how to win a battle, much less a war. Now, once again something has imploded because of her failure to command.”

Snoke’s hands were on his shoulder. “I cannot dispute the faults of her cause. I cannot stay here any longer. Son, I’m sorry, but the First Order Academy keeps offering me a spot, and I think it's time I finally took it.”

“I’ll go.”

“We couldn’t come back.” Snoke warned. “You couldn’t see your parents.”

Ben glanced up at the night sky; the horror of it all seeped into his bones, making him cold. Ezra killed Ben this night as well. If he wanted his revenge, he now had it.

“I can no longer be Ben Solo.”

He rose and Snoke opened his arms to him. When Ben hugged him he patted his back.

“My son, we will leave at once.”

“I will take the pills if they require it.”

“They will not, Ben-”

“Don’t call me that.” He watched the wreckage, and took his cloak off, laying it down, where Juniper and him had danced not fifteen minutes ago. “My name is Kylo.”

______________

Kylo broke the hold. There were tears, but they were hers alone. He watched as Rey reached for her water. He gave her a minute. She trembled as she tried to cap the lid. Dropping it, she fumbled again trying to grab it. 

He picked it up for her. His fingers still against her own as she grasped it. “The rest, is nothing more than a series of events, that would do no more to convince you of the futility of their cause.”

“I didn’t know...but, that doesn’t mean that the Empire isn’t corrupt.”

“It decays, because no one has planted the right seed. We can do that. But, you cannot believe the lies that it would be better if such a structure was simply ripped down.”

“Juniper would not have been happy in the Empire.” Rey took his hands. “And you would not have been able to protect her.”

“If we had a daughter, it could be better. We could create a new Empire, for her. One where people knew the mark for what it was. The neutral countries cannot stay neutral, and the resistance cannot keep the divide. We could bring them together.”

He let go of her hand and gestured to the open pilot seat, asking with his open palm for her to take the spot. Puzzled, she slid into it. He placed her hands on the steering, interlocking with his own.

“Be my equal.”

“With our past, how can we rule together?”

“Let the past die.”

“How can I?”

“Kill it if you have to, like I did.”

He kissed her shoulder, watching her as she gazed at the stars, knowing she’d finally heard him. The tension in her shoulders dissolved. Up ahead he saw their destination.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a space station. One that has been kept secret for many years. It’s where the Wayfinder stone was found.”

“What’s that?”

Kylo kissed the top of her head, letting go of her hands. “Let’s leave the questions till we get there. It’s habitable, more so because I’ve been waiting for this day. It has a bed…” He hesitated. “And a couch, I suppose.”

“You know” she touched the navigational box that started to blink. “You did find me.”

“You didn’t make it easy.”

“I never will.”

The small space didn’t allow much; instead he seated himself in the passenger seat, buckling in. 

“What are you doing?”

“Teaching you to land this thing. Preferably without another scratch.”

She buckled herself in. “You noticed.”

“Noticed isn’t the word I’m thinking of, but all the lessons from here on out will be from me.” He smirked. “Including flying.”

“Juniper was right; arrogance is your weakness.”

Kylo watched her hands grip the steering; in a minute he’d start giving her the ins and outs of a successful docking. He wanted to tell her Juniper’s assessment was no longer correct.

She absently brushed a hair behind her ear, and he wondered if tonight he’d get to run his fingers through it.

  
_ You are my greatest strength,  _ he thought,  _ and you will always be my greatest weakness. _


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, steamy chapter. Truthfully I've been stalling putting it out, trying to fine tune it. 
> 
> If explicit sex scene isn't your thing, you can scroll starting when they go to the bedroom and stop on the last couple paragraphs.
> 
> Thank you Kristin Y. My wonderful writing friend, who isn't a SW fan, but helped me plot the between the sheets bit. (They are my kryptonite)
> 
> All the comments, kudos, bookmarks and subscriptions have made this story worth writing every chapter. You readers are amazing, thank you!

Rey didn’t scratch the tye-fighter, however she could hear Kylo’s teeth grind together as she tried to follow his instructions. At least that’s how he meant them, though they came out sounding like commands. She reminded herself that if Kylo had been a new resident performing surgery for the first time under her eye, she’d of commanded too. It helped keep her from hurling, a few snarky retorts his way.

The aircraft shuddered hard, then stilled.

“We’ll work out the kinks, but overall you’d make a decent pilot. A year or two and I’d trust you to drive any shuttle.”

Rey unbuckled. “Well between you and your dad, I think I’ll be good. Hey, he’s okay, right?”

Kylo hit a button, and a hiss sounded as the side door opened. “Alive, and finally following doctor’s orders. Strict rest, no drinking, flying, or smoking...and I’ve been notified of no complaints.”

Rey followed him out. 

The space station (if it was truly hospitable) did not appear that way from the outside. It had to be at least a hundred years old. There was a flag with stars, and red and white stripes on it, remnants of another time. The design itself dating it with rudimentary panels and a fat body that made it look like a gray moth. It was moderate size, and a tye-fighter or two could easily fit inside the bay.

The silence of space was hard to get used to. Lights flickered on, casting shadows that made Kylo’s form seem almost ominous as he led the way. _Was this a get-a-way or a new prison?_ Something banged, followed by grinding noise that became a clunky hum. Her steps faltered, she glanced around, feeling the walls a little too closely.

Kylo held out his hand. “It always sounds like this, you’ll get used to it.”

He walked slower, not rushing her, as they went through an airlock into the main room. There was a couch, a small table, monitors and three doors.

“Control room” Kylo pointed to her left and moved clockwise. “Med Room, and Captain’s quarters...Our bedroom”

“Do you need to check on anything?” She ran her fingers over the table, and couch. No dust. She looked up at the vents. _Was there dust in space?_ Maybe not.

“Yes...but not for long.”

“When you’re done meet me in the med room.” She issued, headed towards it. Holding her breath to see if he’d order her to stop, or if he’d follow her to make sure she was “behaving”. 

“Very well.”

It was anti-climatic, he simply left her to it. 

The room was simplistic, but she wasn’t surprised. A metal table rested in the middle. Cabinets filled with sterile supplies. The meds were outdated, and she doubted if Lidocaine worked after fifty years. Most of the pharmaseutical supplies were useless. If Kylo had kept the place ready, he’d neglected or didn’t care about this portion of the ship, which to her was almost a cardinal sin. 

She started cataloging what could be used, to what needed to be thrown out the airlock. The computer system alerted her the table had a scanning device which could do X-rays and CT’s. Nothing too advanced, she could check for broken bones and internal bleeding.

A small centrifuge, a chemistry analyzer, and microscope completed the lab. Rey was trying to get the module to print her a summary of basic test, when Kylo entered.

“I didn’t know you were going to be a doctor.” He apologized. “I’m afraid this room’s been an area I’ve hardly looked at.”

“It needs a make-over. Some of this stuff, I’m not sure I even know how to use.” She waved him to the table. “Hop up and take your shirt off.”

“Can we do this in bed?” He tried what she assumed was flirtation, but seeing her expression, gave a resigned sigh, and obeyed. 

“I’m fine.”

“You suffered a cardiac injury, and then had your ass kicked.” She started with his back. She’d found a stethoscope and used it now. “Deep breath.”

“That’s not how I’d describe the way the battle went.” Kylo said dryly, breathing in deeply. “ _Ass kicked_ , makes it sound like I lost.”

A pattern of bruises covered his lower abdominal area, and the purple and greens around his sternum had deepened in color from what Hux had done, but they were healing. 

Satisfied nothing was serious, she pretended to listen to his heart rate; wanting a few minutes of this role reversal. People, Rey thought, tended to be more honest with their shirt off, and in the patient chair.

“Why did you attack your own men?”

“That doesn’t sound like a health question.”

“Checking cognitive reasoning. Making sure you’re of sound mind.” She feigned innocence.

He grasped the end of the stethoscope, keeping it on his heart. “Hmm...interrogation time? And you subtly think to check for a spike in my heart rate for honesty?” He tsked. “I won’t lie, but keep it there if you need the assurance.”

Rey did. “Well?”

“You’re mine.”

Rey tried to pull back, but he covered her hand with his own, keeping her fingers locked over his heart. 

“My equal, my soulmate, but nevertheless mine. Do not forget that.” His voice was stern. “You bristle even now, because you believe I say this as ownership.” 

The sound of his heart stayed the same. A steady drum, that she’d clicked at fifty-five beats a minute. “Than what?” She challenged.

“I put you above myself,” he answered. “Even above the Empire. And the Knights of Ren, threatened you.”

“I don’t fear you any longer.” she hesitated. “Would you let me go?”

“No.” 

“Then don’t tell me you don’t own me.” She countered sharply taking the buds out and letting it hang around her neck.

“The bond is set.” A tick in his jaw as he tried to keep his voice even. “Do you think the resistance would not try to kill you, to kill me?” 

When she didn’t answer he did little to hide the bitter undertones in his voice.. “I cannot offer you such freedom, but if you really want to spurn me, I’ll allow it. You can play the cold wife, be the doctor and give the allotted two children to the Empire. I won’t even touch you for it. Such things can be done.”

“That’s not fair.” Rey ripped her hand away. “I just want the freedom to choose, like all women should have.”

“That’s what I’m trying to make you understand.” He ran both hands through his dark hair. A minute of silence lapsed between them. “Not now, I suppose.” He murmured and leaned off the table. Grasping her waist, he plopped her on it in his stead.

“Hey.”

“Basic medical training was part of my curriculum. Shirt. You can keep the bra on.”

“I’m fine.”

“Really because it seemed you _also_ got your ass kicked, back there.”

Frustrated, she threw the shirt off, half out of spite, only to notice the start of a nasty shoe imprint along her upper calf. Kylo did a circle and informed her there was a matching boot print at the base of her spine. 

“That fucker, kicked like a mule.” She winced when he palpated the spot.

“Deep tissue, but I think you’ll be fine.” He took her stethoscope, which Rey thought was all show. 

“Can’t you heal me, like before?”

“It took an unexpected amount of energy. Tomorrow.” He patted her thigh. “We’ll have lots of time. This stay will be good for us.”

“So I’m your prisoner, again?” Rey grumbled.

“Stop it.” Kylo placed the chestpiece over her heart. “No more than you make yourself.”

He watched her breathe for a minute. “Did you not feel it when we beat together? The perfection of it?”

“It was...an experience.” Rey’s hand covered his, there was something else she needed to know. “In the wildflowers...if I would’ve said no. Would you have taken it by force?”

He took the buds out of his ears, and placed it back around her neck. “What do you think, doctor?”

She didn’t need the stethoscope. She shook her head, looking at the floor, he tilted her chin up.

“Was it only the thought of dying that made you accept me?”

“It helped…” She tried to look away, but he held her chin. 

“Truths only now.” Kylo leaned close.

“I wanted you.”

There was nothing cocky in his smile. He let go of her chin.

“Come to bed with me.”

“I don’t know-”

“We’re stronger together. We’ll return in a few days. The Empire, will become what we make it. You can be their voice, Rey, the ones you care so much about. We’ll show them what soulmates are meant to be.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Hardly, it might get us killed.” He cupped her face. “Nothing happens overnight. Ten years, twenty...hopefully not more than that. It’ll be a fight, but not a futile one. Not the one the resistance would win, they’d burn out and reduce the world to ash and chaos.”

“How could I change anything?”

“Winning the people’s hearts for starters. Do you know, how much influence you’ll have with that alone?”

“I practice medicine, not public relations.”

“And you’ll keep practicing. It will be strongly suggested husband’s allow such trades. Encouraged, even. Later, when the time is right, we’ll draft new laws. Warmed up to it, with new councilmen, and a public backing it, they’ll accept it.”

“How do you know?”

“Because despite my mother’s claim that just overthrowing the Empire will solve everything, it doesn’t work that way. You’ve read the history books. When the birthrate declined, it wasn’t just chaos, it was the ugliest parts of human nature that emerged. Rape, child abduction, soulmates kidnapped and seperated, people even tried experimentations on them. The neutral countries, have adopted parts of our practice.”

“Will you abolish the pills, the barbaric practices-”

He placed a finger over her lips. “The next couple days we’ll discuss, all of this, and more.” He kissed her lightly. 

“I’ve been running from you for the past two days.”

“I’ve chased.” He kissed the hollow beneath her throat.

“I wore a damn costume, and almost froze to death, escaping you.” Rey reminded, even as she reveled in his touch.

“I’ve found you.” He teased her nipple outside of her bra, stroking it to hardness.

“You have.” She murmured, thinking of her promise.

“So I give up” He kissed her shocked lips. “You’ve caught me.”

“Hmm...I see what you did there.” she shivered, as he drew goosebumps up her arm with his warm breath on her neck.

Rich and greedy he pressed against her mouth, the gentle kiss gone, replaced by hunger. She returned it. She laced her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer. Needing him in a heady primative way, that burned where he touched. Even his kisses seemed to command. 

He picked her up. Bridal style.

“Wait.”

He paused. 

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t want kids. Not yet.”

“Is that it?”

He laid her down on the table. She watched as he opened a drawer, pulling something out.

“Want me to count, before I give the shot?”

“Everything here is fifty years old, it’s not going to-” He pushed a cylinder shaped object into her upper arm. “Ouch!”

“Implant, up to date.”

“What happened to counting?” She rubbed the spot. “Thanks, I think.” She watched him put the cylinder away. He no doubted planned to start where they left off. Probably, she mused, he wanted to control things all the way to the bedroom. 

_Not this time._

When he reached for her she slid off the table. “Reflexes slow,” she tsked.

“R-Rey…” He looked confused. 

“Detecting slurred speech.” She backed towards the door. “Stamina questionable. Possibly needs a road test to find out if patient is up to such vigorous activity.”

He moved and she moved faster. Taking the small room and using the couch as a buffer between them. Stopping, only to bait him further. 

“Flushed cheeks and heavy breathing, consider…” She dodged a playful swipe. “Further examination by a personal phsyician.” 

She stepped on the cushions and narrowly missed his arms. 

“And is that a tremor in those hands?”

He caught her right before she entered the bedroom, swinging her up and over. He was laughing. It was such a throaty clear sound, that she couldn’t help, but join in. He laid her gently on the bed. It was a large king size bed in a sparsely furnished room. A red soft glow from a panel illuminated the room. The smile dying into something more serious as he studied her.

She smiled and opened her mouth to spout a sarcastic comment. 

“No,” he said gently. 

Her chest heaved with each breath as he crawled on top of her. The back of his hand swept gently down her cheek and ran a thumb over her bottom lip. “This mouth is going to be used for many things on this bed, but no sarcasm, no fighting.” He leaned down and hovered his lips a hairsbreath from hers.

She nodded, wanting him to start.

His lips pressed against hers with a fierceness that made her cry out at their loss when he pulled away. 

“Kylo?” 

He held still, breathing heavy.“I expected to biologically need you. Clinically, and thoroughly fuck you, nothing more.”

“I don’t understand?” She tried to pull him back to her. “Isn’t this what you want?”

Kylo braced his arms on both sides of her body, so that she was unable to make him budge. She hated that he was stronger but at the same time she marveled at the finess of his broad shoulders and chest. 

“It is not enough to have you lay under me. It will never me enough. Say it Rey. Tell me you want me as your soulmate or this is how we stay.” 

She bit her bottom lip and arched underneath him. “I want this,” she whispered.

He smiled, but didn’t move.

She tried to push at his chest, but he grabbed her hand and held it over his heart. The memory of him taking control of her, when she’d been so sure the tye-fighter was going to burst into a million pieces, came to her now. The steady way his pulse had echoed in her chest. How her fear had evaporated, and she’d viewed the constellation of stars almost euphoric with peace.

“I want to hate you.” She replied truthfully. “You were a faceless monster, all my life. Chasing me, even before that day at the hospital. I always looked over my shoulder for you.” The words escaped her lips, and she could taste them, bitter and sweet. “Now my monster has a face.”

“Who am I to you, Rey?”

When she didn’t answer, he moved away, and for a panicked second Rey thought he would leave. What he wanted, she couldn’t give him, not yet, and maybe not ever. She grasped his wrist and bade him stay.

“You betrayed me. In the flowers. Because, for that one second, I didn’t want to die.” Her voice caught in her throat. “I didn’t want to leave you. I wanted to be your soulmate.”

His face registered it, but if it hurt he didn’t show anything besides acceptance. Instead he climbed off the bed and stood in front of her. He reached to her hips and hooked his fingers in her pants, slowly pulling them off, inch by inch. He tossed them to the floor, carelessly. “I feel no remorse, I cannot give you an apology for that. Perhaps, this make me your monster still. He picked up one of her legs and placed a gentle kiss at her ankle. “All I can do is remind you, of what we had, and I think I’ll start here.”

His lips drifted up her leg at an agonizingly slow pace. She was trying to keep her body from shuddering, but by the time he got close to her upper thigh, she vibrated with each touch. Every time his lips slid closer to her hips she had to suppress a small moan. 

When he finally made it to the crease where her panties met her leg he dragged his teeth across her skin and gently bit down just enough to make her Yelp. 

Rey’s breathing was coming out in short ragged breaths. He bit down gently again, clearly enjoying the way she tried stifle her vocalization at his touch. 

“Do you know how beautiful you are?” He slid a single finger over the sensitive nub through her panties.

This time she couldn’t hold back. She garbled something very close to his name, than when he kept it up, punishly slow, her throaty sound came close to begging.

He let out a soft laugh. “Good girl.” He hooked his finger beneath the thin cloth and moved it aside. Her body shivered in anticipation. She felt his tongue linger for a moment before lightly flicking the nub with the tip of it. 

Her body jerked back a little, un-used to be touched in such a way. He slid his tongue slowly up along the wet crease. Rey’s toes curled and her fingers grabbed the bed sheets beneath her. 

He smiled against her. “Moan for me. I want to hear you.” 

He inserted a finger inside. Her muscles fought against his intrusion. He pulled it slowly out, then back in. Rey lifted an arm over her mouth to stifle her sounds.

He withdrew his finger and quickly grabbed her arm, pulling it above her head. He studied her surprised face and leaned down to kiss her. “I told you I wanted to hear you.”

“You don’t play fair.” She huffed, as his mouth moved inches from her own, letting her try to trap it. “But neither do I.” When she caught his lips she bit down, tugging him back. He growled crushing her lips before breaking away.

He unsnapped her bra, before discarding it somewhere on the floor. His hand slid down her arm, across her chest, and over her breast. Goosebumps formed on her skin in the wake of his touch. 

Rey lifted her arms over his head and pulled him close to kiss her. Their bodies pressed together and the skin on skin contact awakened every nerve in her system. He used his teeth to pull at her bottom lip. Running soft fingers across her naked back as her fingers weaved into his long black hair. 

Her hand move to his pants and he caught it just before it slipped beneath. “No, not yet.”

She smirked and calmed her breath before answering. “Shy, Supreme Leader?”

She let out a quick shriek as he flipped her over onto her stomach in one swift movement. He lightly smacked her bottom. “There’s no reason to doubt that, but I’m not finished exploring you yet.”

He straddled her ,running his fingernails gently down her back. Tracing each freckle, mole, and scar on her body, as if committing them to memory. She shuddered beneath him and he leaned forward to kiss her shoulder.

“Do you want me to continue, doctor?” He gently bit her neck.

“She tried to move against his frame that caged her in so easily. “Kylo..”

He kissed down along her spine, getting lower and lower.

“I need more.” She whispered heavily into the blanket.

He hooked his fingers into the top of her underwear. “Are you wet for me?”

He pulled them down slowly his knuckle dragging over the skin of her cheek and calf. 

She let out an appreciative noise. 

Kylo tossed the damp panties to the floor. He pushed her knees up, so that her ass was a bit higher in the air and inserted two fingers into her from behind, finding her more than ready. 

“More.” It was all she could get out, knowing he was probably smiling proudly at himself as he saw her fight the urge to beg again. The more she whimpered, the faster he moved his fingers. He stopped only to pull his pants down and kick them off.

He laid on the bed next to her and pulled her to lay over him. “We’ve done this act, but this is your body’s first time to couple. If it’s too much, we can try later. You control this.” He leaned back and pulled her up to straddle him.

He hooked one hand behind her head and pulled her down into a kiss. The other hand rested on her hip and pushed and pulled it so that she ground against him. With his forehead pressed against hers and their breath ragged, he whispered, “Are you ready?”

She nodded, hoping the foreplay would be enough.

He reached down and held it steady as she slid down on it. Her wetness made it slide in quicker than she had expected. A small pinch, and the discomfort was gone. He held himself still as a gasp stole from her throat, waiting for her to be ready to move. 

Slowly she rocked her hips on top of him, enjoying the fullness of him. With every small movement she made she could feel her muscles squeezing around him, sucking him further inside. It felt amazing, but the position wasn’t right. “This isn’t enough.” 

He held her close and flipped them over. 

Rey let out a small hiss when he accidentally pushed further in too quickly. Kylo kissed her panting lips and thrust his hips slowly, gently, in and out. 

She growled in his ear, “Kylo, I’m going to implode if you don’t kriffing speed up.”

He grinned and thrust his hips hard, making her dig her nails into his arm. “So tight.”

She wrapped her legs around his hips and back. Closing her eyes, feeling the pleasure start to reach a peak, she’d not thought possible.

“Rey.” Kylo called to her, “Stay with me.” He started just a little harder than he had been moving.

She wanted to zone out into the pleasure he was giving her, but he called her name again. She opened her eyes and met his gaze. Dark irises drank her in.” “I’m so close,” she begged.

“I know.” He quickened his thrusts until he could feel her body tense around him. “Stay with me, Rey.” Her nails dug into his forearms as an orgasm ripped through her body. 

“Kylo.” She grasped him, her body pulled him deeper, sending him over the edge along with her.

The act was over and yet she couldn’t let go. 

He panted in her ear, and softened inside her. When he made to lay on his side, he found himself caught vicelike. Ashamed she buried her face in the curve of his neck. his hair was soft, and his skin slightly damp with sweat, it was a heady smell. Her fingers locked and she couldn’t release him, not yet. Some deep rooted fear had taken control.

“I felt the same way,” he whispered. “When I knew, I had to leave you.”

She was quiet. Her thighs trembled, and a deep ache between her legs, was a mningle between the afterglow of lovemaking and the dull ache of unaccustomed tenderness of having him inside her. After awhile she rested in the crook of his arms; feeling as his breathing slowed, until she knew he slept.

She slipped from his grasp, collecting her clothes, and tip-toeing out of the room. He barely stirred. She shrugged the shirt on and pants, before exiting the room. She made it as far as the couch, before she hesitated. 

“This will never work.” She whispered harshly to herself, but her feet wouldn’t budge. The ache was in her chest. Could they really, accomplish anything? If she stayed, now, she’d be turning her back on the resistance. Kylo asked her to join him. The resistance, just wanted her face, her words, but he’d promised her an active role.

If she escaped and took the tye-fighter she could pretend that moment in bed had been nothing more than a diversion. The resistance would get her to Aldereen, and she’d never see him again.

There was warmth on her cheek. She crossed her arms, knowing she was wasting time. If he woke…

She glanced behind, and found him watching her.

He didn’t go after her. In fact, he seemed to be contemplating something. Finally he turned, giving her his back, pausing at the doorframe. “Twenty-four hours and The Empire will chase you. Aldereen will be the safest spot. I’ll find a way to set up an account for you.”

He shut the door. Leaving her alone.

_He’s giving you the choice._

_He’s setting you free._

She sat in the tye-fighter. Ten maybe fifteen minutes. What she wanted no longer felt like what she needed. “Just go, it will get easier.” She pleaded with herself outloud. “I can’t do this, not after all I’ve done. Not for him.” Her fist beat the steering, and she cried out in anger at her weakness. “I’m a doctor, not a wife, not the mother of his children.” But her palm hesitated over the controls.

“There’s no going back.” She whispered sadly, knowing the choice was already made in her heart.

When she returned, he opened the covers for her to slide in. Tired, to the point of exhaustion, she kept her clothes on, wanting only to rest. Kylo kept his face neutral, but he didn’t fool her. There’d been a moment when she’d entered the room, and watched as his entire body had relaxed, like a balloon whose air had been release.

They nestled on their pillows, mirroring each other. “Why did you come back?” He asked, his fingers reaching up to trace the curve of her face. 

“Because I could. Because I would lay beside you of my own free will.” She smiled. “Why did you let me go?”

“You’re my soulmate. And I’d promised to put you above myself.” He brushed her hair back so he could see her face better. “I couldn’t keep that promise if I stopped you. I finally saw that.”

“I forgive you...” Her voice cracked. “I’d rather fight the Empire with you, than fight the Empire against you.”

He kissed her. Something tasted like salt on his lips, but his eyes were dry. “I love you Rey.”

Rey would later think of their first night together. How perfect it was. How alone in the universe they were, just the two of them. How she’d finally accepted the bond. If they could’ve stayed there, who knows, perhaps they’d of lived happily ever after, or something close. When she finally saw the Emperor, she’d been shielding Kylo’s body with her own, knowing death was close. Regretting only one thing in those final moments. 

That he never heard her say those words back. 

  
  
  



	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo's POV. Next one will be Rey's. 
> 
> The good, the bad and the ugly of his character. All wrapped up for you.

_ The day teaches him many things. _

_ Rey is complicated. _

_ She’s without doubt his equal and soulmate. _

_ For all his enemies, she knows how to fight him, and win.  _

_ He should never have lost his temper. _

_ He can also apologize. _

_ Not that he has yet. _

_ He will, but his penance will come another way. _

_ He failed her. _

_ The day teaches him many things. _

_ First and foremost. Kylo Ren the Supreme Leader can sleep on a couch. _

_ It’s a good place to reflect. _

_ Rey _

_ She’s not a pawn. _

_ She’s a queen. _

_ It’s check. _

_ He can see the board. _

_ The day teaches him many things. _

  
  


Their first morning together, Kylo wakes first. Even exhausted his body never lets him sleep long. Five hours of sound rest, feels like an oasis. Had he the luxury of a few months here, he might lose the shadows that always linger under his eyes. 

She’s still in bed. 

It’s endearing, she doesn’t know it, but she’s a cover hog. He awoke cold. The faintest line of her forehead and nose, peeked out under the thick blanket. He opened the sky windows, it’s the entire wall on the farside of the room, wanting her to wake to it. He left her reluctantly. There are a few things he needs to prepare.

Two hours later he finally sits down, the coffee is a rich blend of kona roast. Faction 50 provided the rich espresso beans. One of the few things he indulges in. When he felt the prickle on his skin, he paused mid sip. 

He doesn’t conjure her up, but instead swallowed and beckoned her with the sensation of his surroundings to join. The freeze dried eggs are not bad, and the bacon flash frozen, pops with a grease like sound when it's cooked. No bread, but there is orange juice. It’s all on the counter waiting for her to meander out so he can serve her.

Silence.

He’s half ready to go get her, when an image comes into his mind. It’s explicit. Enough he thumped his coffee cup down hard enough it sloshed. He’d only recovered, when she pulled his sitting form to her, conjuring up his image.

He can’t see her background just her. Naked. Her hair is disheveled, but it made everything about her slightly wild. Her brown eyes twinkled with mischief. He moved to stand up, but she shook her head. Instead she touched her throat and drifted her fingers down.

It’s erotic and sensual. There’s no skill to it. Innocent and sinful. The way she held his gaze, trailing every area he’d touched, till her fingers intertwined within the curls between her legs.

“Don’t let your coffee get cold.” She purred.

He smirked, taking a long sip.

The coffee finished. He can tell she’s close. He’d enjoyed the show, but there’s only so much teasing even he’ll take. Breaking the connection, he left the table.

When he opened the door she’s leaning against the clear glass. The way her body is angled, it makes it look like she’s part of the constellations. It doesn’t take long and he’s as naked as she is.

Afterward he noticed they’d left all sorts of handprints on the window. 

Sated and content, they attempt breakfast. He watched her eat, it cools the mood, as he realized parts of her childhood haunted her still. The food set before her disappeared in less than a minute. It's not obscene, or that she stuffed her face. Only that she darts her fork back and forth, doesn’t make eye contact, focusing only on finishing quickly.

He poured her more orange juice. His face doesn’t register anything unusual with her eating habits, even telling her to take the last of the bacon, so he can wash the dishes. Imagining for a minute as he cleaned all the ways he would’ve killed Unkar Plutt. They ranged from barbaric to medieval. She interrupted his thoughts.

“I need clothes.” 

The request made him feel like an idiot. When he turned to face her, he rubbed the back of his neck wondering what to do. When he’d set up this place, years ago, he’d assumed they’d pack. Arriving at the space station would’ve been at their leisure. Instead of the mad exit it was, with the Empire, and probably the resistance looking for them.

In the end it's the med room that saved them. Patient gowns were not deemed practical and stocked are white t-shirts with matching pants.They work, but it's a short term solution. He’d stored a few essentials, a suit, and night clothes. They are both very casual. While not planned he decided it is better. It felt almost domestic.

The control room is the largest of the three. It has a table, a wrap around view of the stars. The computer system was updated. The brain within it, less than twenty years old. Having dressed he’d bade Rey to join him.

“How much do you know about early space ventures?” He asked. A green holographic chart of the ships mechanics is up. Not that she saw it. The girl had her back to him, watching the void. 

“Only what the republic allows. Though it’s easy to read between the lines.”

She doesn’t turn around, and there’s a wall up again. Something he doesn’t understand.This part he expected her to want to jump right into, and yet, she’s barely showed the module he’s brought up the slightest interest. He cleared his throat, hating how he felt like a child trying to show a parent something they’ve deemed insignificant. 

“There was a space mission, a team of six. It had not been publicized, but something went wrong...only one of the-” He paused. “Rey, are you listening?”

“Hmm?” She finally glanced at him. “Sorry.” 

The holograph blinked out. A quiet hum droned between them. This he doesn’t know how to do, he decided. If she’d been anyone else, he’d of given this lackluster behavior the brunt of his temper. Not that people turned their backs to him often. A part of him wanted to grasp his mark, to simply find out, but that wasn’t how relationships worked.

Instead he studied her. She fidgeted. Her slender fingers reaching for something at the base of her throat, rubbing the spot, before returning her hands to her side. 

“What would you’ve been doing today?”

“Morning meeting.” she answered, and the way her eyes traveled around the room, he can tell they are back inside the hospital. “Usually patient rounds next, scrubbed in for surgery by eight. If Hux hasn’t tried to bump his patients in front of mine. Dictation between cases. Then taking the emergent stents, and such that arise, that must be fit into an already full schedule.” 

Her fingers returned to her throat. “It’s an itch. The need to leave...not you. Just…” Her hands sweep the air in a helpless gesture. 

“My day begins with meditation.” He started. “A private training yard for an hour or more of calisthenics, and after shower, breakfast alone, or with top generals who need to fit in an impromptu meeting. The rest of the day can go many ways, travel, launches, negotiations. It is constant, and everything and everyone requires my undivided attention.”

“There’s my staff, my family, and my friends.” She continues. “A ritual of noise that I took for granted, and now it feels like I’m cut off. It’s beautiful up here with you, breathtaking even, but absolute.”

“I have no friends, no family.” Kylo stepped around the table. “The daily noise dulls in my ears. I cataloguing who is only trying to garner favor, what information is hidden under political jargon, and at the heart, the needs of the Empire.”

He joined her, gazing out at the horizon that has no break. There is no up or down. In fact without the right orientation, it would not take long to get hopelessly lost. He took her hand.

She rested her head on his shoulder. “Such busy bees we are, and so far from our hives.” 

There’s a natural way she keeps claiming him. Her fingers interweave without preamble through his own, as if they’ve always been there.

“You need a patient.” He gave a slight pull, indicating her to follow. “We can talk, while you learn to heal.”

This time when he took off his shirt and hers, it amused him to see the spark was all business. He’d put a scalpel in her hand, and while her face tried to keep an air of impassiveness, he could tell she was like a racehorse at the gate, waiting for the bell.

He had her lay on the table first. The shoe print on her calf would do. Having already been through this once, she kept still when he placed his hand over her bruise. 

“When the connection is established there’s a fine thread that connects us.” He touched his mark. She let out a breath, feeling his intrusion. 

“On the train,” Rey watched him as she talked. “It was pure survival. When the cloak crossed over, I reasoned the staff could. And maybe it was the fight or flight, but I felt the bond acutely when I accessed it. I’m not sure I could do it again now, if I tried.”

“That incident with the Wookie-”

“Chewie.”

“Yes, when I’d asked for you to come with me-”

“You commanded, without consent. Used the mark like a pig-head ogre-.”

He kissed her. Mostly to still her mouth. There were a few retorts that melted into a mumble, but when he broke it, her indignation was gone.

“This is an unorthodox relationship, to say the least. We both must learn.” He pressed around her bruise, making her grimace. “You seem to tap into the connection better under duress. When I’d...commanded, you challenged it, won and proceeded to take control.”

He focused on the now purple and red footprint. He tried to explain as he healed. “It’s taking that control, but transferring energy. A life force. I haven’t refined it for lack of practice. Which might be why it left me exhausted.”

As he mended he could feel the toll. A small hiss escaped her lips, but a second later, the skin was pink. She hopped off the table and bade him take her place. The bed barely contained his form lying down, and Rey placed a rolled up med blanket under his head and neck for support. Kylo felt a twinge of guilt, that he’d not thought to do the same for her. He closed his eyes, ignoring the pull to sleep. 

She placed her hand on his sternum, touching her mark. The intrusion was jarring. She was new at it, he reminded himself.

“You think I’m going to fail.” She grumbled. 

There was no use denying it. Presently, Rey was the human lie detector, she could ask him anything at this point, and know the truth of it.

“I know you’ll succeed, eventually.” 

A look of concentration and determination wrinkled her brow. Her eyes shut, which allowed him to watch without being rude, as she struggled with the task at hand. He felt a tickle and a bit of warmth. Ten minutes ticked by. He’d give her thirty, before they’d call it a day. 

“That’s different.” 

It was the only warning he received. 

Every muscle in his chest contracted, as if she’d hit him with an electrical current. His vocal cords froze. Deep within his chest, there was a tugging followed by pain.

Thump.

_ Was that his heart? _

Thump

He couldn’t breathe.

Thump.

The room began to white out and he heard no more.

“Kylo.”

The gray metal table was in his vision, looming above him, as everything swam back. When he tried to move, he found his arms and legs twitching uselessly. There was also a warmth between his legs, and the smell of vomit in the air. 

Degrading as it was, he tried to stutter a response of any kind, tasting copper in his mouth. Nothing would come out, and finally he managed a single “Oww.” vowel sound.

“It’s going to alright. I’m so so sorry. It was amazing, I could see your heart. The valves, the pumping of blood. Also all the damage Hux had done. He’d probably taken ten years off your life. The compressions and whatever cocktail he’d given you, had weakened the chamber walls. I couldn’t just see it, it was as if I’d opened your chest up.”

Her voice was jubilant. She leaned into his field of vision. Honey almond eyes bright, and her face flushed.  _ Kriff, why was she so happy?  _ He was pretty sure she’d almost killed him. Had he the capability of speech, he might have quoted the hippocratic oath.

Apparently, he was getting no sympathy, as he lay there. Not that she wasn’t taking care of him, but there wasn’t a shred of worry on her face when she started checking him over. 

“I was able to manually repair the tissue. Not just repair...Do you understand? Your heart, its brand new. I gave you a kriffing heart!”

Well that answered the question on why it had arrested for one glorious second. 

She had killed him, then saved him all in a single stroke. He was finding out fast that a relationship with Rey, was unpredictable as it was life altering. At this rate he might not survive their first year anniversary.

A few minutes later he raised his hand, and she praised his progress as if he’d done something monumental. “Good job. You are doing such a good good job.” He’d never felt so far removed from the Empire, and his identity. 

_ It was okay _ , he mused, Rey taking care of him. 

Which was almost as strange to him as finding his heart stopping. At the mercy of her so complete, and yet there was no worry. Patiently he listened to her sit beside him telling him the ins and outs of the workings of an organ, he’d thought very little about. 

It lasted an hour, before he could stand. They shuffled like an old couple to the refresher so he could shower. 

The water was circling the drain as he shut if off, when he noticed what else Rey had done. The bruises were gone. Everywhere. “The student became the master.” he muttered.

“What was that?” Rey asked, handing him a towel when he stepped out. After drying off, he pulled on a pair of briefs. 

“Nothing, I’ll dress, and we can-”

“The only place, you’ll be, is bed.” She pointed, and he observed she’d tidied it up and pulled the sheets back expectantly.

“Impossible. We’ll return to the control room.”

“After I’ve cleared you.”

“It’s cute.” He patted her arm and made for the door, but she blocked his path.

“Cute?” Her eyes narrowed. “So at this meeting, where we convince the Emperor, generals, and the public to accept equality, are you going to start out with, “It’s cute.”?

“That’s not what I meant.”

“No, you did. You meant, you can stop playing doctor now.”

“It was meant as affection. I doubt very much you’d prefer my usual response to people countering a request.”

“That’s how you want to spin this?” 

Her flush had returned and he had to stop himself from taking a step forward when she rounded on him. Instinct was to strike at such a movement. He straightened himself to full height instead, and placed his hands in pose behind his back. Stilling himself. This could not be allowed, if calling her cute had stepped out of line, then challenging his authority in nature would not hold. Not here, not in the Empire.

“I healed extensive cardiac damage in an untested procedure, that while I’m sure was successful, caused you to seize. You rolled off the table, proceeded to vomit and froth at the mouth, until I was able to secure your airway. Thankfully, you resumed normal respirations, and required no life saving measures. I need to evaluate you for at least twelve hours, to check for any side effects and complications.” 

“Taken under advisement. Now, If I say we go to the control room, that is where we’ll go. Do not forget that this space station is a haven, not the glass house we’ll live in when we return.” 

“This is what being married is like. I will not cater to your ego. That is not why I stayed, and if you’re afraid the boys at the Empire might raise an eyebrow, then let them.”

“Subtle, is preferrable.”

“For whom?” Rey snapped. “Ten to twenty years? Hardly. Silence will stay silent. If I bow my head and look at you with adoration nothing will change.”

“And if I bow my head to you, then they’ll devour us the first day.” He shouted back. “Kriff woman, you are infuriating. I just let you stop my heart.”

“And I’m trying to take care of it!”

That caught his words, that and the moment he saw the tears she was trying to hold back. She was right. Not about everything, but he could concede, this time.

“It is yours.” He with effort relaxed his features. “I’d let you stop it again, just to prove it.”

The bubble of emotions popped, her temper checked along with his. He imagined they’d wave white flags throughout the years. If he wasn’t so damn tired, maybe they could’ve even made up. 

“Can you at least sit down for an hour?”

He smiled. “Of course.”

The holograph was back up, and this time she watched him as he showed her the blueprint of what was once called Nova 2002.

“I thought most of these either became space junk, or were dismantled.” Rey studied it. “What makes this one special?”

Kylo flicked a button and a picture of six people came up. Two women and four men. “How do you like murder mysteries?”

“If you’re about to tell me one happened where I’m sleeping, not so much.”

When he didn’t answer right away, she gave him a horrified look. Technically it happened outside, not that she’d probably sleep easier knowing that.

“It wasn’t cabin fever gone bad, if that’s what you’re worried about. That would’ve at least made sense.” Kylo said. “They were on a three month mission, it was a scientific crew that had been assigned to study abnormal solar frequencies.”

“Did they find anything?”

“Yes.” Kylo brought up another picture, one that no one but those with the highest clearance had ever seen. “Two weeks into the mission, something pinged on their tracker. At first they assumed it was space rocks, but when the trajectory changed, they assumed it was a passing ship.”

“What species killed them?”

He tsked. “You’re putting the cart before the horse.” The triangular ship with no markings and no windows rotated in front of them. “There were no life forms aboard.”

“What did they find?”

“Technology, far advanced from what anyone, both human and alien species had created. The ship has been kept locked up in Faction 47. We’ve used what we’ve learned from it to build superior warships, weapons, and even the basic droids.”

“Did the crew members die on that ship?”

“No, at least I don’t think so.” 

“What happened?”

“One crew member, Shmi Lars, stayed behind while the others explored the abandoned craft. When the space shuttle returned, it docked, but no one came out.” He paused and pulled up the image again, pointing out an older woman in her forties with mousy brown hair. “She was afraid they’d contracted a virus, she followed proper procedure and put on a suit before checking the craft out. Only to find it had been programmed to dock.”

“And the crew-”

“Have never been found.”

“Evidence of foul play?”

“None. In fact, what we’ve called the Wayfinder Stone...” He pressed a button and a pyramid object that was a small replica of the ship floated above them. “...not been found aboard their shuttle pod, we'd assumed they’d never made it anywhere.”

“That must have given her fright. Did she have to be rescued?”

“Yes, but there’s the rub.” He hit the screen off and glanced at Rey. He didn’t want to scare her. The ghosts of seventy years ago were gone, and there was no reason to fear the place. 

“On eight different missions throughout the years military men and women had stayed at this station, studying for anomalies. Trying to find any data that might give a hint of what had happened. Nothing. Not even one abnormal finding. It’s safe, I wouldn’t have brought you otherwise.”

She nodded, but her posture didn’t relax.

“NASA, as it was called, received communication and reports.Video was disabled, but considering the distance, such technical problems happened from time to time. They didn’t start getting suspicious something was up until the voice communications a month in stopped, and then when they demanded signs of life, the reports ceased as well.”

“Was Shmi hurt?”

“No. Travel isn’t like it was now. It was a two week journey to reach Nova 2002. At least they tried.”

Rey peered closer at the woman. “You said the Wayfinder was tied to the soulmate mark.”

Kylo nodded. “Yes. You see, when they tried to find her, tracking devices stopped working. The mystery became a challenge. Months passed. Finally a crew used mathematics, star navigational charting on grafts, and pencil and paper, to cross the expanse. Reports said towards the last day, a few of the crew members experienced an almost magnetic repulsion feeling.

They expected to find a dead crew. Instead they found Shmi tucked away. Alive, and not understanding months had passed. She was also very unaware of her condition. When they brought her back, she delivered a healthy male child.”

“And the child had the mark?”

“The first one. Her DNA was tested and the child was hers. It could only be one of the men on board, yet when they tried to find a match none was found. The Wayfinder stone was sent for testing, but it disappeared. At first, it was assumed stolen, but then a year passed, and with the sharp decline of births came the unexpected rise of the mark. World wide chaos, that eroded the governments slowly. Fingerprints were the first clue. Male and female matches. 

Kylo leaned back in his chair. Watching her reaction. She was receptive, and appropriate. What she knew now, only a handful of people did. He waved dismissively. “You know the rest. The Empire emerged. The Emperor, arose.”

“What happened to the boy, and Shmi?”

“Shmi, died during the war.”

“Oh…” Rey frowned. “The boy?”

“Every cause needs a leader, and he was not only gifted, but a genius. When war broke out, he became pivotal in bringing order to chaos.”

“The boy’s the Emperor?”

“Correct.”

“But his soulmate-” She paused. “Did he find his other half?”

The question seemed to be a good one, but for some reason Kylo felt like she was deflecting. Maybe his mother had told her one of the many untruths that had been circulated about the reclusive Emperor.

“Yes, but there was complication during childbirth, neither babe nor mother survived.”

“Oh...he’s always been in the suit.” 

She bit her thumbnail, drawing her expression in. She didn’t meet his eyes. He wondered what was bothering her. Where were the hundred questions he’d expected? It could be possible the resistance had ascertained parts of the truth. He’d have to find out, all the enemy had told her later.

“It keeps him alive, the suit.” He added. “We tell the public the mumbo jumbo about how he keeps it hidden so the Empire is his only identity.”

“All we see is you. At least for the last fifteen years.” Rey said, finally met his eyes. “You were eighteen when I saw you on TV for the first time.”

“Ah yes...I believe I had acne, and an overbite.”

“You did not. In fact, most of the girls in school had a crush on you.”

“Did you?”

“Your ego is big enough, as is.”

He leaned over and kissed her. It was a long one. One he wished could turn into something else. Sighing he returned to the lesson.

“The Emperor will step down soon. His age now makes death a certain thing.”

“What do you think happened to the stone?” She rose and moved closer to the projection console. Kylo understood she wanted to see it again, so he brought the image back. 

“There’s no concrete evidence. But I don’t think it ever left the alien ship.” When he stood up this time, he didn’t need Rey’s help to walk. “I believe the stone meant to change our biology, further our evolution, and allow us to further explore the universe.”

They moved back to the main common area, and once he sat on the couch, she started fixing a small bowl of dehydrated soup for them to share on the couch. After they’d settled she finally spoke. 

“Why hasn’t the public been told? There’s so much good that could happen.”

“It’s harder to control sheep, if they don’t need the shepard.” He tapped his spoon on the side of his bowl before setting it down. “I think me and you established a stronger bond based on how it was created. That doesn’t mean it cannot be taught, but it will not come so naturally to others. For some not at all.”

“This could bring balance.” Her eyes lit up. “The mark isn’t about control it’s to create a perfect union.”

“I agree.” 

He thanked her as she grabbed his empty soup bowl, the tomato soup lingered on his tongue, with an acidic aftertaste. The couch was large, and he stretched out lazily into it, while Rey washed and dried the dishes, before setting them on the counter. 

“When you’re Emperor, will you seek to expand people’s knowledge of this?” She closed the cupboard.

“In time. Possibly, with the newer generations, the ones that haven’t ingrained in their minds what the bond already is. Foundations will have to be set up to make sure that it is not allowed to run amuck. I seek change, not anarchy, and if not implemented with an absolute firm hand, it could destroy the fundamental tools we need to keep society running.”

When she returned he shifted his knees up, but she surprised him, by sinking into his lap, to cuddle against him. He wrapped his arms around her as she placed her head on his still bare chest. The pain was gone, and only the barest discomfort ached between his ribs. 

“When we return, what will happen?”

There was no hiding the truth. He kissed her head, trying to keep his voice light. “No doubt I’ll be reprimanded for my actions, privately of course. However, this will be forgiven, once it becomes clear of my intent to bring you to our cause. The public will see us together, and a wedding must happen quickly.” 

“Can’t it just be a small affair?”

Her body was warm, and he touched the bare skin at the nape of her neck, rubbing it absently. When they returned he’d have to make time for these moments; it would make the trials to come easier. 

“No.” He sighed. “If it makes you feel better, I will dread it as much as you. You at first will have to play the role you dread. A happy wife. I cannot spare you that. Though hopefully, the happiness will be genuine.” He chuckled. “Don’t worry, when the public hears your voice and sees you for the first time, they’ll be smitten.”

She tensed. Not just tensed, but drew in a breath, and then he felt her body shake. 

“Afraid of being in the spotlight? Do we need to discuss this?” He asked, trying to understand.

The shaking turned into tremors, and she backed up off him, retreating to the far end of the couch. Her paluor had changed as if all the blood had drained from her face. He reached for her, but she shook her head. Then she started mumbling, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Rey, sorry for what?” He drew closer, and she bent her knees wrapping her arms around them as if forming a sheild. 

He tried again. “You can do this. I’ll be right beside you. We can at first keep off live recordings of us, until you’re comfortable.”

“They’ve seen my face Kylo.” 

She averted her eyes from him. 

_ What was going on?  _ This couldn’t just be stage fright.

“That declaration I sent out for your safe return?” He touched the top of her knees, bading her to look up. “They think you’ve been kidnapped.”

“I made a video for the resistance.” She sputtered out. “Three in fact. I don’t know if they aired them yet. Maybe they haven’t...maybe with me not being in Alderaan, they’ve held off. If I could talk to Leia we could explain your side. Get them to destroy the footage.”

She finally looked up, her cheeks were streaked with tears. 

Processing it, Kylo felt his throat go dry. It’s like swallowing nails. He could feel each one go down as she kept babbling out a fountain of secrets.

“You were my enemy.” She pleaded grasping his hands. “The resistance cause held hope, you have to understand that. I never expected to want to be your soulmate. I didn’t call for the end of the Empire. Not on the video, I only asked that people stand up for what they know is right. That the Resistance isn’t the enemy. That the power belongs in the people’s hands-”

He wrenched his hands free, and raised one to strike her.

She flinches back and her palms raised instinctively waiting for the blow. He’d never hit a woman like this, in combat yes, but never struck cruelly when there wasn’t a clear battle.

He removed himself from the couch, afraid of the violence he’d pictured in his mind. Anyone else, and it would’ve been execution, on the spot. __

_ Does she realize what she’s done? _

Red, that’s all he can see. He leaned against the small kitchenette counter. A coffee cup left to dry is sitting there. He grasped it and flung it against the wall. It explodes. She lets out a yelp, shrinking in size on the couch. He doesn’t care, because it’s better to destroy this, than what he wants to do. Dishes, cups anything he can get his meaty palms on become projectiles. Avoiding her, but he’s pretty sure she gets the picture.

“Stop.” She’s screaming. “Stop. This isn’t going to help.”

_ No it’s not. _

He advanced on her. Like a deer, she’s rooted in place. In her eyes he’s the wolf coming at her for the kill. He hated her for that fear. Hated the way she pleaded because it weakened him. 

He should’ve seen this coming. 

If she hadn’t distracted him, he’d of wondered why the resistance had just let her fly to a planet at the far reaches of space, instead of using her for their cause. He should’ve interrogated her, flushed his mother’s influences out, instead of trying to play nice. 

Instead of trying to be Ben Solo.

Isn’t that who he’s slipped into? This domestic role, forgetting who he is, what he’s spent years creating for his eventual rule. The Emperor was right. Had always been right. Ruling alone is the only way. Tarkin’s voice comes to him.  _ Break her will or the Emperor will.  _

That’s what he should’ve been doing. That’s what he needed to do. 

He grasped her roughly, standing her up. Crushing her to him, his mouth on hers. There’s no heat, no romance. He shoved her back, prepared to take her to the bedroom. Her face is white, so white, but something has changed, the tears are gone. 

“Would you like me to strip?” Her voice is cold. She tugged at her shirt, sliding it off over her head. “Would the Supreme Leader…” her voice breaks. “I’ll give myself to you, before you do something I could never forgive.”

It takes his anger in one fell sweep. Break her will, oh yes, and his as well. He’d never thought himself capable of such tactics. 

_ What is he doing? _

Hadn’t his mother used people, manipulated them, caused countless deaths, with false hope and promises. Juniper’s parents, Ezra’s family. Rey has a good heart, and he didn’t get to her in time. His mistake, not hers. 

“Rey, the Resistance cannot win. This will mean war. I cannot negotiate after this.” He takes a step towards her. “I forgive you.”

“Forgive me…” She looked at him as if he’d gone insane. “I thought you’d changed, I thought I could trust you. I made a mistake, but my message in that video is true. Every word of it. As a united front we could still tackle this together. Isn’t that what you want?”

“You have to understand, it’s not that simple anymore.”

“I’m leaving.” She brushed past him.

“That’s your plan? To fly to Alde-”

He stopped, because she’s headed to the bedroom, not the bay. She caught his expression and scoffed. “You really don’t know me yet, do you? When you figure it out, and want to apologize, come to bed.”

He cleaned the mess up. It doesn’t take long. He goes to the command room. For awhile he stares at stars. Scenario after scenario played through his mind, until there’s only one. Rey cannot be the enemy of the Empire so he’ll have to give the people someone to hate. 

And there is only one person he can think of.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I decided to split this chapter in two, as the word count was getting outrageous. The next update will be quicker. I'll admit this chapter is one of the reasons writing scifi is harder for me. I have the technical knowledge of Randy from IT...feel like saying "Boomer" when I try to write it. 
> 
> I hope it's still an enjoyable read. 
> 
> Thank you always for the thoughtful comments and kudos. Story is halfway done, and it's been a lot of fun to create it.

The room stayed quiet. At first Rey had been content to let her anger simmer like a well stoked fire. It doesn’t work long. When it’s down to embers she started pacing the room. Waiting. If she goes to him, it’ll be too big of a step back in their relationship. 

The videos are damning. No lying to herself. It had been foolish. Impulsive even. She’d made them without thinking through the long range implications, because she was going to be a million miles away. It never occurred to her there might be a better way.

Hours tick by. The scenery outside doesn’t change. She pressed the mark and felt him slap her away. Like a fly. It hurts, the rejection in it.

The bed mocked her, there’s so much room. The scent of his aftershave lingers between mattress and sheet as she snuggled in. Absently her fingers traced his pillow. Their handprints pattern the window. All around her is reminders of him. Perhaps wherever he is, he’ll find reminders of her. 

She doesn’t remember falling asleep, but she’s awoken when warm lips are pressed to her forehead.  _ He’s back _ .

“Kylo?”

The warm lighting reflects nothing but bare walls. The room is empty. _ No. He was here.  _ There’s a foreboding tension in the air that prickled her skin. A hollowness that permeated, because it told her she’s alone. Really alone. 

“Kylo” She screamed, and it echoed in the continued silence.

It’s not a big place. It doesn’t take long to figure out what she already knows. The tye-fighter is gone. Her get-a-way just became a prison. 

The control room offers the same panoramic view. Sensors turned on when she stepped inside. For a split second she hoped he’d be sitting in his chair, or left her some ridiculous note that said he’d gone out for some air. Instead it’s devoid of life cept her; the dull glowing buttons, screens, and keyboards offer their solemn vigil. 

A flash of red caught her eye. It’s where Kylo had showed her the holographic images. Repetitiously it blinks off and on, demanding her attention. She pressed it...and he’s there. His face, neck and shoulders at least, a holographic image.

_ “Rey.  _

_ You have to know there is no other way. I promised to put you above myself. If I told you, you’d know doubt try to talk me out of it.” _

He smiled. It’s a sad smile. One that felt like goodbye.

_ “I understand why you did what you did. I am a man of actions. I cannot ask you to forgive me. It is not in my nature. I only hope you will take my path as repentance. That I will someday in your memory, not be the monster you feared. _ ”

She wanted to interrupt him so badly. To tell him, that he’d never been a monster. But she can only watch helplessly.

_ “I’ve contacted the Resistance. The videos have not aired. They will be destroyed. I’ve agreed to their terms. A Resistance ship will dock and bring you to Alderaan. I will never be Emperor, but there could be no joy in it without you. _

_ I love you Rey.” _

The video paused and he took a breath. Her fingers absently moved to stroke his cheek, but they went through the screen.

_ “I will be the traitor. I will be the enemy of the Empire. I’ll state you’ve been killed. I’ve defected. This plan of action, I doubt will give the Resistance their win, nor further their cause as my mother hopes. Only buy you time. Both sides will assume you are dead. No one will even look. After a few weeks no one will look for me. Do not worry, there are ways to hide.  _

_ You will live a long life. I wish I could’ve spent it with you.” _

His image blurred and she wiped her eyes.  _ No. No. No. _ God-damn his arrogant-trying-to-fix this ass. The image of his face looking at her remained, and she snapped the button to make it disappear. That is not the last image she is going to have of him.

The mechanics of the control room isn’t something she understands. That doesn’t deter her from trying to figure it out. However Kylo must have guessed she’d tinker. The switchboard prompted her for a password on the communication screen, and every keypad and button is locked. She tried her mark, and felt nothing. He’s either too far away or he’d blocked her.

Undeterred from giving up, she proceeded to comb through and investigate every nook and cranny of what now felt like a bird cage. In the med room there’s a drawer with manuals in plastic binders. It’s old. In any other settings, such an outdated thing would be useless, but Nova 2002 was built in another time. If they didn’t throw away this one, maybe there’s one for the control room.

The search isn’t fruitless. When she’d gone to the bay tucked among the spare parts and what she assumed was a space helmet (it’s spherically enormous and doesn’t look very comfortable.) She found the manual to the space station Nova 2002. Which doesn’t help her with a computer system that’s been updated. At least that’s her initial thought.

Going back to the bedroom, she started reading, flipping slowly through each page. It’s jargon. Pure and simple. If she had a year,  _ maybe _ she could make sense of it. There had to be an answer. It’s not a heart. But as she turned the pages, her eyes stopped searching frantically and regarded it as she would a medical journal.

It reminded her of anatomy. There’s the outer epidermis layer(plates shields, panels), the muscle of it underneath (drive, engine, gears), and then the intricate electrical workings that tie it all together like the veins and arteries. She needed to find the most important organ, she needed to find Nova 2002’s heart. 

She’s on her third cup of coffee, when a blueprint sketch caught her eye. Below it in block letters.  **Disaster protocols** . Scanning over it, she found what she needed. **Station Reboot** .  _ Bingo!  _ Digging in, her excitement doesn’t last long.

It’s as impossible as the Gordian Knot. Even if she understood the general idea. The only way to access a wide scale reboot is by an emergency control box located on the outside of the station. Unlike Alexander the Great, she cannot cut this knot in half. All she can do now is wait for the Resistance to show up.

Two days later, no one had come. 

The chore of the morning to keep her mind off everything is to update the med room. Yawning, she covered her mouth. Sleep hadn’t come easy. Nightmarish thoughts made their way into her dreams, making both day and night equally restless. 

All the pharmaceuticals that expired need to be disposed of. Finished with the task, and having a bag of useless stuff, she trudged towards the trash receptacle airlock. It’s a small shute next to the main door. Opening the small bin, she placed the contents inside. Snapping it shut, there’s a whoosh, before it incinerated everything and discharged the ash into space. 

The next chore, document a list of what critical items are needed, for the very unlikely event she ever returned. After that she’ll alphabetize the few medications left, chart supplies, and try not to think about what would happen if nobody showed up.

It’s hard not to concentrate on little things, like how the steps back to the main area are rubbed down from countless traffic. While updates have been installed, much of the bones of the place are original. Her fingers trace the wall feeling the imperfect grooves and small dents that haven’t been buffed out. Hopefully she won’t be here long enough to make any lasting impression. Another day alone, and she’d have to start looking at food storage. At least living with Plutt taught her to survive on starvation portions. 

The station quaked, making her jump. It’s not enough for her to need the handrail, but she gripped it none the same. Surprise is replaced by apprehension. There’s another stronger rumble. There’s only one explanation.

The bay doors are opening. If they don’t rush out, she’ll have five minutes. 

_ Kriff! _

Friend or foe?

If it’s the Empire, they might just kill her. Two days, who knows what Kylo has done. If it’s the Resistance, they might not negotiate, fearing it will null the deal they’ve struck. She could be viewed as a liability. Time to get out of sight, at least long enough to know what she’d be dealing with.

It’s a terrible hiding spot, but the only one that gave her a view of the door.

The first place they’ll look is behind every piece of furniture. And the kitchenette is only going to conceal her for about three seconds. She left the bedroom door open, hoping they’ll stray there first. 

Crouched down, she waited, hearing footsteps approaching. A man dressed in a red and white flight Resistant suit comes in. He’s in his late thirties, handsome in a rough way, with thick brown hair that had a natural curl. 

“Rey Sky?” he paused. “Dr. Rey Sky?”

At least he had manners. He stepped inside followed by someone Rey knew very well.

“Chewie!”

Pure relief. It blinded her from considering she’d just popped up like a jack-in-the box. Elated she rushed forward, causing the stranger to draw a phaser on her. It made her fall back in panic trying to backpedal a retreat. He doesn’t hold it on her long. Just enough to curse.

“Good kriffing God. Do you know how close I just came to shooting you?”

He put the weapon back. She’ll apologize later, frankly he can lecture her all the way back to Earth. 

“Is Kylo okay? I need to talk to him, hell with that, I need you to take me wherever he is. I’m not going to Alderaan. I know you have orders, but-”

“Hey. Slow down. I’m Poe Dameron.” He held out his hand, helping her up. He smirked. “They warned me about you.”

She’s not sure whether that’s a good thing or not.

“Kylo, please, is he okay?”

This caused Poe’s eyes to narrow. “The last time I had an interaction with that egotistical sack of shit, there was a phaser to my head, and my family was in custody. Forgive me, but I could care less if he’s okay.”

There isn’t much to say to that, and chances are a lot of soldiers on the Resistance side will have similar stories. It’s not going to be an easy wall to get over. But, hate is not going to save anyone, not Kylo, not her, and not all the people on both sides of the fence.

She turned her gaze on Chewie, perhaps the one person who’d understand. “He’s a terrible person. Kylo is. But Ben Solo is not. If I can talk to him. If I can help him. We can bring Ben back.”

Chewie’s black eyes studied her, she could see the disbelief. She tried again.

“He saved your life on the train. He told me what he wants for the Empire. It’s what the Resistance wants. Balance. Not the misogyneric world that the Emperor has created out of fear.” She glanced at Poe whose arms were crossed.

“I don’t expect you to believe me. I know, it’ll take time. Just take me to him. If we have to sit in prison together, or go in exile, whatever the Resistance decides. But I am not leaving him.”

“I’m going to blame the bond.” Poe grumbled. “I’d love to show you his prison cell. Really I would. However, he’s missing. So is Leia Organa.” 

“What?”

Chewie interjected woefully.

“That’s...Kylo wouldn’t have broken his word.” Rey defended. “Do you think they were captured?”

Poe scoffed. “I think we’re playing the fool. No offense, you seem like a nice woman, but destroying those videos lost us our advantage. Kylo played his mom like a harp. Getting her to meet him alone. Rendezvousing at a secret location.”

Chewie nodded.

The fighter pilot glared at her as if it was all her fault. His tone wasn’t yelling, but every syllable was accentuated with his frustration.

“If anything, it’s weakened our position. The news is flashing that Kylo and you are missing. The Empire is threatening war on Australia first, but everyone knows it’s aimed at all the neutral countries. I’m pretty sure this is the excuse they’ve been hoping for.” 

“No he wouldn’t have tricked anyone. I can’t...I can’t access him. Did you find his ship...or any signs of wreckage? There’s another explanation.”

He gave her a look that bordered on pity. “Chances are Kylo is orchestrating the whole thing.”

He thought her naive.Words were not enough. Proof, was the only way she was going to convince Poe and everyone back home she wasn’t ignorant, or compromised because of the set bond, or even a backstabbing Empire supporter.

“What if…” Her eyes strayed to the control room. Kylo wouldn’t be happy, but right now, it was the only card she could play. “I need to get into the computer system.” 

“No offense, but getting here was about as much fun as a root canal without novocaine, and I’d rather just start back now.” Poe said.

If the Resistance had the truth, it would be more powerful than any video she could’ve made. Also if Kylo and his mother had been captured, they could use it as a bartering chip to get them back. 

“The soulmate mark, it’s not a fluke of nature. The Emperor’s origins are here. His mother was an astronaut on this space station.” She was tripping over her words. “All the missions, and documentations….it would still be in the database. It wouldn’t just be the photo’s Kylo showed me, and the Wayfinder Stone…irrefutable proof.-”

“What are you talking about?” Poe interrupted her, before regarding her warily. 

“Leverage.” She grinned. “Information so valuable that the Emperor might lose the hearts of his own people.”

Rey showed them into the control room. It didn’t take long for Poe to dash any hope Rey had of breaking the code. He’d glanced at the keys, the program and shrugged helplessly. 

“I know the ins and outs of space flight. I don’t know how to get through a system like this.” He watched the message Kylo left, but if it moved him at all, it didn’t show.

Chewie however had watched it twice and she suspected he was now on her side a little more. Or maybe she was reading too much into the way his shoulders had sagged at the end of watching it a second time.

She tapped the table. “What if it was rebooted?”

Poe laughed. “It’s not flipping a switch. Maybe if I had a droid, or one of our Intel people.”

“I have a manual.” She ran out of the room, rushing back with the large book in her arms. Slapping it on the counter she pointed to the diagram. “Does this help?’

Chewie and Poe spent an hour reading it. A few times Chewy would point and Poe would shake his head. Finally they both looked at her.

“It would work. Any password encrypted codes would be disabled…” Poe started, but raised a hand up to still her excitement. “If we had the right crew for the job. This hundred year old hunk of metal has just been floating around eroding, I’m not sure I’d want to reboot. For starters the back-up system should keep life support on during the process, but I wouldn’t want to bet my life on it.”

Unable to accept defeat, and knowing it was close she walked to the window. Poe joined her after a minute.  _ Was it really over?  _ For the first time in her adult life there was an unfixable problem.

“I’m sorry,” Poe sighed. “Still hate the guy’s guts, but I’m sorry all the same.”

“He’s out there. If he’s gone off the radar...it’s not of his own choice.” 

Chewie gave a vocal bellow.

“We don’t have a space suit.” Poe shot back. 

Rey drew back. “Yes. Yes we do!”

They followed her. Back in the bay area was the giant helmet, and underneath it one bulky suit. It even had the NASA stamp and a faded name tag sewn in that said Lars. It was Shmi’s suit. The last remaining crew member. Why it hadn’t been thrown away, or taken for processing, was pure luck.

“This, would it work?”

Chewie picked it up and looked at Poe nodding.

“Hell no. Absolutely not.”

“Would it work?” She pressed. 

Chewie spoke, and Poe’s face clouded in rage.

“Doesn’t matter if you know how to put it on. It wouldn’t fit you. Probably wouldn’t fit me.”

“If I wore it-”

“No,” Poe tried to take the suit from her.

“Could you tell me how to reboot the station?”

Chewie gave Poe a hard stare that he countered with his own in some silent battle of wills. Rey broke up the standoff.

“My life is tied to Kylo’s, and I haven’t felt him at all. Which might mean…” She didn’t want to voice it, they knew. “So let me at least try. I might not have much time.”

This softened Poe’s anger. “I’d only be able to tell you. Then me and hairball would have to go to our ship, just in case it shuts off life support. My girl’s an old fighter plane, probably three retired crafts fused together. I couldn’t open my doors to save you. You’d be stuck out there.”

She looked at her reflection in the mirrored glass of the helmet. “I heard there are worse deaths. If he’s truly gone, it might actually be merciful.”

“I’m all for hail mary’s in desperate times, but this might not be that time.”

“I’ve started a war.” Rey felt the weight of it on her shoulders. “One I don’t think I can stop, even if you hand me over to the Empire.”

“This was a long time coming…”

Yes, that was true, but she’d ignited it. He had the mark, she could see it. If the Empire sought for domination, the fate of his family would be decided along with others. There was little she could offer them now if Kylo was dead. If Leia was also...things would be bleak.

“Let me help you win it.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter where I try to pretend I know anything about space. We will be returning to Earth shortly. Thanks for your patience.

If she thought Solo’s impromptu lesson on the tye-fighter was intense. This was making that look like a kiddie swimming lesson. They practiced for six hours. Stopping only to eat a small dinner and allow her an hour nap. Rey was the one who finally halted the mock trials.

Poe was holding the book, and Chewie held the panel replica that had odds and ends snapped in. Rey had been using thick gloves to practice the painstaking work of dismantling the outer cover, using different tools.

“It won’t get any better,” she said. “We need to try now.”

Poe sighed. “I keep hoping you’ll back out.” Worry flickered behind his hazel eyes. “Maybe I’ll get lucky, and that retro astronaut costume won’t fit.” 

Shmi Lars was an average sized woman, and almost the same height as Rey. It was perfect, which didn’t make Poe happy when they helped her put it on. The space suit was heavy. 

Trying to walk in it reminded her that NASA employees had to be in incredible physical shape, it wouldn’t matter once she was in zero gravity, but strolling even a few feet was difficult. Once it was pressurized she tethered herself to the inside of the airlock. She’d have to use the rings that were located on the outside of the space station to get herself to the external control box ten feet to the left of the airlock door. 

Poe kept switching between last minute tips, to last minute pleas to call off the whole thing. Chewie gave her another bear hug, and then the two left exiting towards the bay. 

The small anteroom was the size of a large broom closet. The release button to the airlock had to be held for thirty seconds. The first time she tried she chickened out. She tried again. Counting. At twenty she let go, feeling slightly light headed.

The truth about what she was going to do, could no longer be avoided. The suit around her wasn’t claustrophobic as she’d worried; instead it was the space, wide open that made her heart race. 

_ I can do this. I have to do this _ . 

She placed her hand on the release button. Instead of counting, she pictured Kylo. Pictured him lying next to her in bed. 

The room depressurized. Her feet started to lift and then there was a hiss.

The door opened. Complete weightlessness happened in a blink. Unprepared for it, her initial plan to step off and grab the nearest ring, became a sudden launch. Cursing she tried to correct. Reverse was impossible and all she did was manage to make the situation worse when it caused her to go into a somersault. Stars tumbled around her. A minute of rolling, and her stomach was starting to lurch. __

_ If she threw up in her suit _ ... _ no, breathe. It’ll stop, it has to stop. _

There was a tug. Her body jerked back. Everything looked the same, her body, however kept rotating.

The teather. She could see it. Red. 

The next rotation she reached for it and missed.

The bag of tools she had on her body was starting to slip from the makeship buckle she’d put around her waist. If she lost that it was over.

One more rotation. Her fingers brushed the tether. The bag was almost off.

She caught the rope.

The toolbag slipped over her helmet. __

_ Kriff _ . 

Her free hand caught the strap. She could see the station. She was upside down. Righting herself wasn’t easy. Weightlessness was like being in the swimming pool, you could move but there was no grace to it. While the suit no longer pressed heavy on her body, it was not a second skin, by any means. Having stopped the tumble, she placed the toolbag back over her shoulder securing it to the buckle again, and turned on the jet thrusters. Slowly she pulled the tether as she moved towards the station. It was slow work

The suit gave her two hours of air. Hopefully she wouldn’t need even half of it. The rings around the ship were meant for the tether anchors to clip onto, or for hand holds. This part she’d thought would be easy, instead she found that sideways needed push off and the jet thrusters probably would work better if she knew what the hell she was doing. If her body wasn’t angled right she wound up wasting time trying to turn around which made her feel like a sumo wrestler trying to bounce on one foot. It was trial and error. The length of the tether worked against her. Push off too far and it was back to square one.

The suit was equipped with an internal gage. The oxygen level blinked at the upper right corner of her helmet. When she’d finally reached the location the O2 gauge read three-fourths percent. 

Opening the bag almost ended the game. The contents inside tried to rise up out of it. Another mistake, another near miss. Rey wondered how many strikes she’d get.

The panel had been easy to spot. It had a flag emblem on it, and when she looked closer she noticed a peace symbol painted on the bottom corner. It felt like a small good luck charm.

It was time to dismantle. Poe had said the screws around the box would be more pliable. However, Nova 2002 older hardware and less than stellar shape, made her doubt that.

Anchoring herself close, she started the work of carefully getting the power drill. It’s Poe’s. It was meant for just such jobs. He also warned her it had a kick. They practiced inside. She dropped that tool most of all. 

Inside the suit she could hear each breath. They sound loud as she readied herself. The image of a drowning man flashed in her brain.  _ Stop it.  _ Hating the dark thoughts that crept in as she managed to get the drill out. When she had a grip that felt safe she started on the first screw.

There are sixteen of them. A part of her wondered if the person who configured this part of the station assumed it would never be removed. Each one is a five minute or more process. The work doesn’t tire her hands, years of surgery keep them steady. 

The absurd thought crossed her mind that all those countless hours training her fingers to handle a scalpel to cut with hair thin accuracy inside the human body, was only perfunctory cover, that this was truly what she’d been studying for. The thought seemed less absurd when on the third one she’d worked the screw out using patience and adjusting pressure, when the drill wanted to strip the metal instead of budging. 

Five screws in her oxygen is below half.

A spark made her almost drop the drill on the eighth screw. 

_ She can’t do this. _

There’s a ringing in her ears. It’s almost as loud as her heart. Clinically she knows what’s happening. Panic. Glancing around is a mistake, but one made too late.. The endless black vacuum of space was waiting for her. She’ll float forever. No one will ever find her. The suit will run out of oxygen and she’ll suffocate. There’s a tightness in her rib cage and each breath out of her lungs makes a sucking noise when it leaves her lips.

_ “Remember that first case that went south?” _

It’s a voice in her mind, and it sounded like Luke Skywalker.

She closed her eyes or thought she did. 

Their standing over an operating table. It’s vivid. So vivid, it felt real. His paper mask kept his face half obscured. 

“I’m afraid.” She pleaded. “I’m not strong enough for this.”

“Healthy dose of fear keeps surgeons from killing people.” He reminded her.

“If I head back, I could try again later.”

“It’s life or death now. You don’t finish this, you never will.”

She looked at the table, there’s a patient, intubated chest open.

“Healthy male, fifty years old. Blood pressure started dropping.” Luke started.

“I was still a resident. You wouldn’t take over.”

“No.” he admitted. “It was the moment in your career, where you had to let go of my hand.”

“I hated you at that moment.” She reflected. “I hated myself.”

Luke stayed mute, just watched her as she studied the patient.

“He was bleeding. I had to find the source. I was getting ready to sew him up. I had to go back in. The epi wasn’t keeping his blood pressure high enough. I had seconds.”

“You were not fighting the clock.” He nodded at her. “Nor are you now.”

“What if I can’t? What if I’m not enough?”

“When I watched you that day, I did not know if you could save the patient. There is no guarantee for any surgery, and much less when presented with a moment where there is no room for error. I did not take over because we were equal in skill. I knew the last of your self doubt had to die on that table.” His blue eyes held her own. “The reason that fifty year old man lived was because you stopped asking those two questions.”

The patient disappeared. It was just them again. 

“You have everything you need, always have.” Luke stepped back from the table. “You can save Ben.”

She opened her eyes.

When the last screw panel came out, her oxygen level was at the quarter mark. There was supposed to be inside, a processor core. The second protective panel was the size of a shoe box. Once it was dismantled she could pull the cylinder core out, allow the reset, and push it back in. That’s the plan anyways.

The thick gloves blinded her view, when she thrust one inside. It was hard not to rush, but this is a power core, and the biggest threat other than breaking something is electrocution. The inside protective cover had bolts that are meant to be manually turned, they are quarter size and they slipped out of their brackets like butter. It’s too easy. She prayed it was a silver lining.

There is a small handle that must be rotated counterclockwise to release the foot long cylinder. Carefully, as if the object in her hand is a ticking bomb, she turned the handle, finding only the slightest resistance. Rey swallowed, her throat bone dry, there’s a click.

Rey had reached the point of no return. There’s no time for an internal debate, just a whispered prayer of ‘please’ on her lips as she tugged it gently. 

Everything shuts down. 

She can audibly hear the station humming before becoming absolutely silent. The lights outside extinguish and save her helmet internal illumination and the stars, the world darkens around her. 

Sixty Mississippi's, she said each one outloud; a monotone countdown devoid of any emotions in her voice. There should be fear as she reached the end, but instead there’s acceptance. 

The cylinder slid back in. Slowly, she rotated it waiting for the click. She doesn’t hear it.  _ Did it not work? Should I try it again? Maybe _ …

There’s a humming sound as the power rebooted.  _ Yes! _ She smiled laughing. Her fingers start to let go, when the world goes black. 

“REY”

There was a beeping sound. It was far away. She struggled to open her eyes. Someone is calling her.  _ Is she in the hospital?  _ The beeping noise felt familiar. It’s cold. Ice cold.  _ Why is it so cold? _

“Please Rey, wake up.”

_ Kylo? _ She reached for him. Felt agony in every bone of her body. _ Is it hers or his?  _ The taste of copper in her mouth and something else as if she were missing teeth. It’s his pain.  _ You’re hurt? Where are you?  _ There’s…

“Rey, please Wake-up.”

Reluctantly she forced her eyes to open. For a terrifying moment there is nothing. Just a blanket of white. Had she been blinded? The beeping noise. Red flashed in the corner. Oxygen is on E, and it’s flashing eight minutes of air. 

The reason she can’t see out, is finally explained. Frost. The suit had lost pressure inside, not enough to kill her, not yet, anyways. But if she doesn’t get back to the station, she’ll die of hypothermia or suffocate soon.

The tug of the tether told her she’d been floating the full distance away from the station. Her arms tried to find the rope, but only one complied. Her right arm is useless. It must have been a small jolt of electrocution. The thick gloves probably kept it from being a lethal one. 

The airlock door is ten feet away. Ten feet or ten miles...does it matter? There is now seven minutes left of oxygen, no field of vision and no use of her right arm.

“Move,” Kylo shouted.

That commanding voice, that broached no argument. The plea gone, he’s all Supreme Leader now. Her good hand searched for the rope. Focus. Her left hand caught it.

“Pull. Use your momentum.”

It’s not that easy. The jetpack thrusters are not responding. The jolt had sapped her strength and the cold was taking the rest. It’s no use. 

Her left hand is slipping. It wasn’t for nothing, she thought. Poe and Chewie can now access the information, take it to the Resistance.

Kylo is silent. Maybe he’d accepted the inevitable. They’ll meet again in the wildflowers she hoped.

There’s a prickle all over her skin. It’s stronger than when she was in the tye-fighter. He’s not just calming her, he’s taking over.

It’s painful this time. Excruciating. Her pain is a dull ache, but as he merged with her, he cannot hide his own trauma. 

“What have they done to you?” She asked.

There is no answer, instead there’s warmth in her body, as he used his reserve to move her along, doing what she cannot.

Five minutes. 

It’s depleting him fast. He’s in no shape to do this for her. 

Her breaths are harder. The suit is leaking too much. She’s not chattering which is also a bad sign. The oxygen light goes out. Nothing is blinking. A heavy tiredness settled in. If she closes her eyes it’s over. What strength she had, she used to keep conscious.

They must be close. 

Her mind is foggy. 

“Don’t you dare.” He warned. “Find the door.”

Her fingers felt nothing, but she was so cold, it would be a wonder if she’d even feel the airlock door.

“I’m sorry, Ben...I’m so sorry.”

Her fingers caught the edge. The airlock door is gaping open, and even as she gripped it, her lack of oxygen and swimming head almost didn't allow her to keep purchase. It’s only luck she was halfway standing when she maneuvered inside. Slapping the wall she found the airlock button and pressed.

She doesn’t have thirty seconds. There’s no air, she’s gasping.

There’s a hiss and the door shuts.

Gravity returned. She has no more energy and the suit's weight pulled her down. There’s noise and the antechamber door opened. No air...no…

Someone gripped her helmet, and once again the world goes black.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big chapter in the sense it answers a lot so the rest of the story can come together. I hope it works. Rey's POV in this one. Entrance to a much loved villain. Next chapters is Kylo's. Enjoy.

The view of the stars greeted her. The receding webs of sleep faded slowly, confusing Rey to wonder if she was still outside. The weightless feeling hasn’t quite gone away, but the cold was gone. She felt pleasantly warm.

Yawning, she stretched out her limbs like a cat, which told her exactly where she was at. The king size bed on the station was a welcome relief. Her head turned from the window to look around. Chewie and Poe must have grabbed her in the nick of time. 

“Hello?’ 

They needed to set out soon and start working on a plan to rescue Kylo and Leia. The memory of his pain brought with it the truth, he’d been captured. That she was sure of. He was being tortured or had been tortured. 

The covers snuggled her in, but she pulled them aside and sat up. 

There was something off. 

The station was quiet. Which might mean nothing. The clothes on her were the same clothes she wore inside the space suit. At least she thought they were.

_I should feel like shit, right now._ _Why do I feel like I just stepped out of a spa?_ The electrocution hadn’t been a mild one. They could’ve given her a muscle relaxant, or an opioid painkiller, but usually those left tell-tell signs. Maybe, she’d been sleeping for longer than a day. This was entirely possible, but her muscles should feel stiff, apathetic. Honestly, she felt amazing. If asked she could probably jump on a treadmill and run five miles. 

“Hey guys?” She called a bit louder. “Chew. Poe?” 

A sound, it’s faint. Footsteps. Should she be worried? Probably not. Nervously, she threaded her hand through her hair.. _.What the Hell?  _ Her fingers bunched it in her hand, every hair strand was soft and silky.  _ Did they bathe me? _ There was even a hint of jasmine or _ was it lavender?  _ Something floral. She brought it to her nose to smell, only to find something even more bizarre.

_ This can’t be my hair.  _

It’s too friggin long. Her hair should barely touch her shoulders; it’s several inches past that. For the amount of time to have passed, it would mean weeks.  _ Months, don’t kid yourself _ , Rey thought as she twisted a strand in her fingers.  _ Have they kept me in stasis? _

The footsteps paused at the threshold. 

“Who-who’s there?”

She balled her hands into a fist. Not that she was going to be able to give a hearty fight that would last long. There was no time to think of a game plan, before the door whished open.

It’s not the Resistance. 

It’s also not the Empire either.

“Hello Dr. Rey Sky.”

_ Impossible-- _ Rey’s throat went dry _ \--It can’t be her. _

The woman in front of her smiled. She looked human, but for her eyes. The irises so gold, they almost appeared to glow. . 

Rey tried to formulate words, absently she hugged herself, trying to draw in only to find-- _ Holy Kriffing Hells-- _ the flat of her stomach wasn’t there.  _ No...please. I can’t be _ . 

The woman tilted her head watching Rey’s face drain of color. There’s no blink or flutter of eyelashes, it’s as if a fish was studying her. A cold fish whose lips can only mimic an emotion. Rey knew that face. 

It’s Shmi Lars 

Or that’s whatever this _ creature _ wanted her to think it is.

“What did you do to me?” 

The woman-creature unnatural grin stayed plastered on. It’s ghastly. If it tried to touch her, Rey was pretty sure she’d start screaming. The gold rimmed eyes followed her as she stepped backwards.

While it looked like Shmi, the voice reverberated a throaty tenor that reminded her of a cross between a flute and a violin.

“You have nothing to fear, Dr. Rey Sky. Would you like to go back to sleep? I could give you another day.” 

“No,” Rey glanced fearfully at the bed. Who knew what state she’d find herself in next if that happened. “I-I don’t want that.”

“Your heart rate is high and your internal temperature is rising. Would you prefer I take another form?”

There’s a blur, a ripple of changing features, and suddenly Kylo is watching her with the same gold rimmed eyes. Rey clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling the scream. The creature isn’t smiling, the grin replaced with a neutral face. 

“I am incapable of violence. You can stop picturing me attacking you.” The voice paused, and then sounded almost puzzled. “Eat you? Such a funny thought. I do not even possess teeth in my natural form. I mean you no harm. I’ve been waiting.”

“For me?”

Kylo-creature made a deep guttural noise that had a clicking sound to it. Rey was not sure what to make of it, but she was pretty sure it’s a laugh. It stepped aside, and gestured for Rey to follow it to the main room.

There’s not a lot of options. As she walked behind it her hand strayed towards her mark. The creature stopped. 

“I would ask you not to do that. I wish for time to speak first.”

“Do you know where Kylo is? Is Chewie...is Poe?’ Rey suddenly remembered the five members of Shmi’s crew. “Are they alive?’

The creature was dressed in Kylo’s black military dress. The motion of its body was graceful as no earth being could be. With each step it rolled on the bottom of it’s foot, making its walk look like a dance. It opened the control room with a raised hand, before turning to regard her.

“Questions, humans always have so many questions.” It held a hand out to her. She flinched back involuntarily. It waited. The seconds ticked by, and it stayed motionless.

“Who are you?” Rey asked, trying to deflect from physical contact.

The gold ringed irises glowed. Kylo melted. A woman in her twenties, hair tied back her clothing simple stock, her features strange yet familiar appeared. The gold eyes burned again. A man appeared; dark haired with a gray lapeled suit that looked tailored. His chin was strong, his nose just a tad too big. 

Her heart knew first, before her brain with one dizzying lurch caught up. How many years had she searched for even the slightest clue, for a breadcrumb of understanding? No, she’d never given up, but part of her had resigned herself to the fact she’d never know, and now...

“T-That’s my parents.” She met the creature’s eyes. “How do you know them? Are they alive? What happened to them?”

“The truth is all I can offer, are you ready for it?”

Rey, felt faint. _ Was any of this real? Could her brain be dying? _

“You do not dream. This is much for a human to comprehend. How to explain?” 

The creature lowered its arm. The way it stood almost made it look like a marionette doll that had been put to rest, the limbs hung limply as if waiting for a command. When it moved again the shoulders drew back with a forced jerk, as if strings had been pulled. After a moment it spoke.

“All of life is connected with silver strands. I can see some of them. The ones to your past are the easiest to read.”

“You can tell me what happened to them?”

“If you wish to know.”

Rey brushed the brimming tears from her eyes, nodding. All of this was madness, and yet thrust into it, she couldn’t help but play along. Had this species played such games with Shmi after they impregnated her? So many questions, and now this. The face of her father watched her steady herself, allowing her a shaky breath to whisper, “Please tell me.”

“Your parents did not bear the blue circle on their left wrist. They were the last couple to have a child, without such a connection.”

“Were they part of the Resistance?” 

“No. Both were born in Faction 15. They were loyal to the Empire.”

The little she’d been told, had consisted of her parent’s being referred to as “rebel scum”, who’d been traitors. The correctional center wouldn’t tell her more, and her files couldn’t be accessed, no matter how much she’d offered to pay as an adult. “Why was I separated?” 

“Such an event had not happened in twenty years. Hope of such kind had to be crushed. The one who calls himself, Emperor, ordered their execution.”

“No…”Rey shook her head. She'd always hoped they’d been somewhere waiting for her. A part of her wanted to run away now, instead of embracing the reality: they were never coming to get her.

The gold eyes shone and the form shifted, returning once again to appear as Rey’s mother. 

Rey buried her hands in her face, the finality of their death hit her, and why. “They died because of me?” she sobbed.

“You lived because of them.” The creature corrected her. “They hid you as long as they could, even going so far as to procure an artificial mark on your skin. To protect you, if one day, they could run no more.”

Rey glanced at her wrist. “This isn’t real? Kylo isn’t my, he isn’t my soulmate?” 

Her mother’s image made her want to hug the willowy woman’s frame, weep in her neck, beg for a name, a memory. The cold eyes kept her from doing anything, but trying to accept the horrible truths that kept coming.

“Soulmate. Word created by humans to describe connected twin.” It passed its hand over the area of her blue circle and she saw the mark fade. “You have no mark, you have no twin.” 

It shifted back into Kylo’s form. Rey had grown used to the transition, but still it was hard to see her lover’s face used in such a manner. Had it not the gold eyes she’d of still known it wasn’t him. The skin was flawless, the dark locks of hair in a state of perfection, even the clothes on its body looked freshly minted.

“But, my fingerprints worked in the tye-fighter. And we…” She blushed. “We have a connection.” 

“This third line of my prototype. The one named Ben Solo at birth, has found the rarest form of connection, even among my kind.”

“What is he to me than?” Rey’s fingers trailed over her abdomen. “Is he the father of this child, or are you?”

“Let us talk inside the control room. To hold form, is difficult. I wish to view the stars for the short time I have.”

The cryptic note it left her on, made her follow it obediently as they entered. The light flickered on, before turning off. The creature halted in front of the panoramic window giving her its side profile. 

“I can see them better when the room is dark. Does it bother you?” 

“Not at all.” Rey answered joining it. She’d detected sadness from the creature’s voice and the way it viewed the constellations. “Is that the direction of your home?” 

“You show empathy to me, I who have created sorrow in your life.” The creature touched the window, pressing a palm against the glass. “Home I will never see. Light years. The journey for me was never a return one. My prototype, perhaps, but that is lost now.”

“You...you impregnated Shmi?” Rey broached her words carefully. “Why?”

The creature’s body was still, no rise and fall of its chest for breath. While it was no longer staring at her, she knew she was being watched.

“Species live and die out. Even mine. Intelligence came at a price. We spread out too far. Offspring became few, till there were no more twins. We gathered one last time, hundreds of years ago. Not one of us could stop the extinction of our race. I cannot say if any live now. I think I am all that is left. We do not die so much as fade. We turned our sights towards mankind, to impart what we could.”

“I don’t understand. Why pick us, Earth?”

“Genetically the only match for the prototype to merge with. It was not meant to keep our species alive. That is beyond us now. We saw you try to reach out further and further into the unknown universe. Your population had expanded beyond what was sustainable. The prototype and the Wayfinder Stone were the two gifts meant to advance your species. That was our hope.”

“I’m not sure we were ready for such ‘gifts’. Rey couldn’t keep her tone neutral. The idea that all this had been by design, and maybe not a very thought out one. The entire social system she lived in had been upended. Her own parents killed, under the direction of the one it referred to as ‘prototype.’

“Anakin was the name given to the male offspring of Shmi. Within his DNA the purest form of our bond. Within every cell in his body the navigational map of our solar system, intelligence, power, everything he’d need to cross the galaxy with his twin.”

“His soulmate died.”

A throaty harsh whistle that made Rey put her hands over her ears. If earlier it had been a laugh this was a snarl. Rage. The being’s entire form became almost transparent, before it became corporeal again. 

“Murder in our kind is rare. Murder of a twin by twin has never occurred. The male offspring took our gift and perverted its power. His despicable act to take his own twin’s life force to sustain. Now he seeks immortality.”

“Kylo-Ben” Rey changed the name. The creature had kept to his birth name, and Rey found even she preferred it. “Ben said the Emperor is dying.”

“Yes. I watched my prototypes birth. I hoped to watch his death. I could have faded knowing that corruption no longer existed. What he now seeks I have hidden.” 

“The Wayfinder Stone.” Rey guessed. “Why does he want it?”

It is our oldest artifact. The power inside it is akin to a life force. The Wayfinder Stone was placed on Earth to secure the prototype a twin. Affecting, we assumed, only a single human woman. She would birth a twin. Instead, all mankind became affected.”

Rey looked at the creature, not sure if she felt shock, pity or anger at their species stupidity.

“You are right in your thoughts. Emotions of joy and contentment are known to us. Anger, lust, greed are only concepts we understood, never felt. Remorse, has become known to me. I offer it to you. We did not know.”

Rey could not accept it. They played God on a global level. They’d failed the first attempt to pass on their gifts. Was he telling her all this now as an explanation for her condition, that it wished to try again. “Tell me, is this child I carry another prototype?” 

“I could not replicate such material again. I would not try, if I was able. Your daughters are Ben Solo’s.”

“Daughters?” Rey’s fingers went to her abdomen that swelled slightly under them. “We protected against conception. You’re lying,” she spat. “Afraid I’ll terminate, if I know the truth.”

Something changed slightly in the creature. It seemed less solid. 

“My prototype came here often seeking the truth.” The creature kept watching the stars while it talked. “Always, seeking me out. Anakin aged, as was his mortal body’s weakness. The spirit in him fading till I felt more machine than human in him. I had hope in his female offspring, Leia Organa. Beautiful and capable, I could feel the potential. Her connection. It was pure. I waited. 

The female offspring, Leia, feared the bond. Burned the blue circle on her wrist. Separating herself from her twin for years even fearing that connection. She denied the pull to knowledge that came with the connection, until she became numb to it.”

“What about her brother?”

“The male offspring born with her, Luke, had no twin. This happens, even among our own kind. No connection. I assumed the prototypes lineage would die with her.”

Rey chewed on the inside of her cheek. “And that leads us to her son.”

“Another male offspring. Strong and powerful. Ben Solo’s mother feared him. Because she’d repressed her connection, she could not help him understand his. It allowed his path to stray to the darkness. Anakin, became aware of the boy’s presence.”

“How?”

“You have not met my prototype. I created within him the capability to lead. To influence. To control. Ben Solo’s raw power could not be hidden from his sight. When discovered, he created the avenue for the boy to join him.”

“Why are you telling me this, why didn’t you stop it?” Rey snapped. When it didn’t react she grasped its arm and turned the creature towards her, only to find it was like grabbing tissue paper. She couldn’t hold on, almost as if she was tearing it’s body away with her touch.

“I cannot change human nature, nor intervene one from dark to light. Ben Solo was not lost. He, like Anakin, sought me out. He sought to understand the connection. Always searching for you, but only for the balance you would bring him. I was not absent in this search. I allowed knowledge from our people to reach him.”

“The Emperor wants him to take over.”

“Anakin’s lie that Ben believed. The Wayfinder Stone would grant him the immortality he seeks. Ben Solo was never meant to rule, he was meant to find the stone for him, and afterward either stay loyal or perish.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because you are hope. Because of who you are.”

“The vessel to extend your prototype’s lineage?” It wasn’t real yet. The life growing within her. Physically there was a change, no denying the bump, but emotionally a strange detachment to the life within her. “Is that all? Or am I something else to you...to Ben?”

The creature nodded, the first human reaction to her words. “I have watched stars born and die, yet you are the rarest thing I’ve encountered or ever will.

Turning towards her it extended its hand once more. “My time is short. Healing you and creating this haven has taken what little energy I have left. You may join me if you wish, the five crew members transcended with my twin, and now I must join him. I watched you sacrifice for your twin, I saw him sacrifice for you. I watched as you became one outside the station. I saw the spark of life that would be born within you, and could not allow it to extinguish. I knew then what you were, what both of you were.”

Rey trembled, but reached out, taking the offered hand. There was warmth. There was pure energy. There was her other half.

“Rey?” Kylo’s spoke to her, his voice clear as a bell. “Rey, you’re alive?” 

It was him. He was alive. Shock, relief, a full rush of emotions that made tears form in her eyes as his own throat restricted somewhere across the distance. She wanted to say more, to assure him that they’d work things out, that everything was going to okay, when the creature brought her back.

“You are a Dyad.” The creature’s fingers closed over her own. “The purest bond. Not twins, for twins will never achieve what you can. The mark has never been what connected you. He is always with you, time and distance and even death will not seperate you. It is rare as it is powerful.”

The gold eyes brightness increased, it was like looking into the sun. 

“Forgive my species, we will not be remembered and perhaps that shall be our punishment. The friends who were with you, have taken the data from the station. When you are reunited with your Dyad, you can stop my prototype.”

There was pressure in her hand.

“Together, find the Wayfinder Stone, use it to bring peace.” The creature with her lover’s face started fading even as the eyes stayed bright. “The compass will lead you, when all is dark.”

A surge of energy passed through her. The creature was gone. Something was pressed in her palm. A necklace. The pendant attached to the silver strand was pale blue with gold markings around it. Inscriptions, she thought, the language of a now forgotten race.

It didn’t occur to her not to wear it. Placing it around her neck she watched as it glowed softly and when she stopped touching it, the pendant disappeared. When she touched it again, it took form. A cloaking device.

There were answers, but still lingering questions. How long had she been sleeping? If she truly was carrying twins, the state of her stomach might mislead her from her earlier assessment of three to four months. 

The instinct to reach for her left wrist made her almost touch the mark. Instead she closed her eyes. Controlling her breathing.  _ Ben _ ...she liked that name better.  _ Ben where are you? _

At first there was shadow, the room he was in devoid of all light except for something that pulsed on the ceiling, bathing his body in a strobe like glow. It hurt her eyes, and she realized it was to keep him from resting, from sleeping.

Ben’s head lifted up, feeling her presence. His arms struggled to prop his body into a sitting position. “I’ve been waiting to die.” He whispered. “Are you here? I can’t see you. Rey, I-” 

A deep cough racked him. Crouching down on the ground next to him, she watched as his eyes searched for her. “They captured us, a couple days ago. I’d thought, the location secret. The Knights of Ren-”He grimaced. “It doesn’t matter. I felt you die. How are you here?”

Her lips brushed his. The high temperature must have made him slightly delusional if he thought only a few days had passed. “Kylo, it’s going to be okay.” When he reached for her his fingers could not find purchase of her face. 

“This sickness makes you so real. Soon, I’ll be with you.” His smile was bittersweet. He slumped back down unable to keep his body up any longer. “I think you a dream.” His eyes closed and he turned away from her.

She tried to rouse him, but he’d slipped into unconsciousness. 

There was a sound behind her. Deep mechanical. It was breathing. She tried to withdraw, but something held her with a force-like grip. Choking her till spots danced in front of her eyes, before releasing her enough she could breath.

“I sensed a disturbance. Now here you are.” The mechanized voice spoke to her, as her fingers tried to work the invisible ones around her neck free. “My grandson’s elusive soulmate. Clearly alive, but where are you?”

She was being pulled around. Her feet kicked uselessly. A black gloved hand was the first thing she saw. It released her completely, she crumpled.

The distorted breathing was loud enough it kept her from hearing her own gasp as her lungs burned trying to gulp back air. A towering black-clad man stood looking down at her. The helmet allowed him to watch her frightened expression without revealing his own. She’d seen this image only in posters and flashes on the news. 

The Emperor.

He took her in, and she could tell when he noticed her stomach. Her hand covered it instinctively. 

“Impossible--unless…” His hand raised, but he didn’t grasp her throat once again, but kept her body still. “Nova 2002. All this time. I’d thought it would be my grandson, who’d they’d reach out too.”

She tried to break the contact, they grappled and it was like fighting against a leash someone had placed around her body. It was horrific, a cancer of sorts that polluted her mind as she tried to push him away. If she could break it, he wouldn’t be able to reestablish the hold, that’s why he fought so hard to keep it.

“Impressive. And you are not even of my bloodline. Perhaps, it is my great-granddaughters that allow this strength in you. I feel their heartbeats. I feel their energy.”

“Don’t you touch them.” She pushed back harder.

“Your feelings have betrayed you. You'd have been better to hide yourself. Escape to Alderaan to raise the twins. My creator’s failure is complete. If Kylo will not turn to follow the Dark side, then perhaps my granddaughters will.”

“Let me go.” He was trying to probe into her mind. Read her thoughts. There was pressure that cut like a knife in her temples, but also resistance. He could not...not yet get the information he sought.

“Had you not my bloodline growing inside you, I would rip the information from you now. Very well. Consider my words carefully.” The pressure dissolved. He kept her locked. “My grandson has the will to keep me out, even dying. I considered extracting your location from him, but the risk of his neurological death was too great in the struggle. You however will tell me everything when I arrive.”

She shook her head, no.

“I’ve kept him on the threshold of death. I’ll keep him there, because you won’t be able to reach for him without feeling his agony. He needs a doctor, don’t you agree?”

An emotionless monster watched her as she understood. The hold on her lifted. She could break the connection, but she didn’t.

“We understand each other. This does not need to be painful. Accept your place and you shall live a long life. Run, and when I find you, I will make you watch as I raise your children. I will construct a prison that has no walls, no bars, every day will be cold and timeless, until you beg for a death that will never come.”

Her arms snaked around her waist as if it could keep the threat at bay, protecting them in that minute from a fate in this monster’s hand.

“There is no escape. Don’t make me destroy you. I can feel a power with you. One I’ve never felt before. Join me. Kylo Ren will accept my path with you at his side. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order.”

“You want me to help you crush the Resistance, so you can be a dictator over all?”

“Narrow thinking. The Resistance is crushed, they just don’t know it yet. The Wayfinder Stone will complete my destiny.”

“To live forever?”

The Emperor drew close to her, till she had to look up at him with almost a child-like perspective that made her feel helpless and small.

“To rule the Galaxy.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for hanging in there. I promise as much as I love a pregnant Rey...the twin pregnancy wasn't just for shock values. There is meaning to my madness. All is coming together and I hope you enjoy the last voyage of this work. 
> 
> You guys are amazing.

In Kylo’s childhood there had been stories of princesses, left over from the old world. Some he’d even told Juniper over the years. Was it _Snow White or Sleeping Beauty,_ that had involved the mirror? _Fairest of them all is she_ , he thought, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest. _Would his kiss wake her?_ Probably not. If they’d let him tear the plastic that separated them he’d try. 

Vital signs blinked on the far corner of the plastic, and a med droid whirled next to his feet, the camera lense of its face upturned towards him, indicating he needed to move. Stepping back he allowed it to analyze.

The week had been a blur and half of it he could not remember. After being captured by the Knights, he’d been beaten and dragged to a holding cell, where he’d been asked again and again where Rey was. Only four of the Knights had been present. The fifth either was recovering from his injuries or dead. The viciousness of the interrogation made him think the latter. They’d known he wouldn’t answer, and so torture turned into enacting a revenge of sorts. Including breaking his arm, and knocking a few teeth out.

Hours had been marked by their arrival and departure.

When he’d understood that Rey’s life force was fading, he’d felt it so suddenly and sharply it had caused him to command the Knights to halt. They’d done so, almost out of programmed duty, before they’d remembered who was the prisoner. Still, they’d not touched him, but watched as he’d tried with everything he had to save her.

_ Almost. _ But her heart had stopped, and try as he might, his own would not follow. The Knights had looked at his grief stricken face and known. There was nothing else that could be done, so he’d simply commanded his own death.

Which had been denied.

The fever would have killed him. He’d even dreamed of her, knowing mere hours separated their reunion. When the medics had come in they’d had to sedate him. Wrongly he’d imagined they’d needed him well enough for a public execution. Pride didn’t matter, it would have been an acceptable end, but he did not want to wait. So he’d fought, until the drugs took that from him. She’d been so close. So  _ damn _ close. 

The Emperor had been waiting for him when he’d finally awoken. 

The sound of his mechanized breathing, punctuated the silence like the ticking of a clock. The tall imposing Master he’d known so well stood directly within Kylo’s line of sight. The white of the room surrounding the man’s dark form creating the illusion his vision had gone to black and white.

His body had been restrained on a steel table. A cast on his right arm had the feel of a bacta dressing, which meant within a week his bone and connective tissue would heal. This was a high expense for a dying man. 

The Emperor stayed mute. It was not Kylo’ place to speak first, so he waited. A clacking noise on the floor alerted him to the presence of a humanoid droid. The droid approached and he braced himself for the intrusion of unwanted medical attention. Instead there was a tugging on his restraints and they popped free.The bot even managed to help him sit up.

“You’ve slept three days.” 

The Emperor’s voice was rich and amplified, making the robotic notes of it enunciate each word. To Kylo at times it had sounded God-like. 

“While you’ve _ “ _ slept” I’ve found your soulmate.”

Kylo clung to the table, trying to steady his breathing. His tongue was so dry, he tried vainly to wet it with spit to allow speech. Struggling from the bed and pulling out the connective IV lines, he rose only to kneel. “Master, I am no longer of use to you, let my soulmate and I rest together.”

The deep mechanical breathing became louder as the Emperor drew closer. He hovered over Kylo’s kneeling form. 

“You have failed me, in your grievous arrogance of believing yourself the Master. Do you support the Resistance? Are you Ben Solo or Kylo Ren?”

“Ben Solo is dead. Soon the Resistance will be, but I will not live long enough to see its fall. How may I serve you, in my final days?”

“Forgiveness I give this once. You defied me. A student trying to usurp his master. Did the lesson end well, Kylo Ren?”

Bowed head he did not look up, his shame evident. 

“You have placed your faith in me and I have failed the Empire. I’m beyond absolution. Choose another, and allow me to support the choice, before I die.”

“So eager to get on with death. How noble. I said I have found your soulmate, I did not say she was dead.”

“Rey is--” His shock such, he almost forgot his place. Bowing his head again. “If forgiveness is to be given, let it be for her. My failure allowed her to be manipulated and I claim any punishment as my own.”

“Taking her to Nova 2002, allowed the enemy to establish contact. You abandoned her.” The Emperor berated before stepping back. “Rise, come see the cost of your foolishness.”

Kylo had thrown on a basic uniform before they departed. It chaffed, but it was better than walking the hallway wearing shorts. The med droid had given him a parting shot of something that made his leg muscles stronger, and the all-over ache dull to nothing.

Following the Emperor, had made him feel like the first day he’d done so; after the selection, as they’d walked away from the First Order Academy. 

The Emperor had given Kylo the guidance he’d needed. Not the love of Han Solo who could show up and give him that grin meant to say “Sorry son, I know it’s been a year.” But the steady daily training that without fail was constant in his life from teenager to manhood. This had been the only father figure he’d needed. 

A door had opened to another medical unit. It was small, making Rey the centerpiece. The plastic dome that surrounded her still form was shrine-like. Her skin was pink, her hair pillowed around the upturned face and past her shoulder with such lustrous color it reminded him of spun honey, even her lips looked rosy.  _ She almost glows,  _ he marveled. Beauty that seemed to verge on unnatural.

The Emperor held back, allowing him a personal moment to approach her. Juniper’s prince, Kylo Ren, now had been given a second chance to make things right. No life sustaining equipment to keep her alive, nothing about her alerted him to trauma, and only a single IV in the crook of her arm. A cloth binding covered her breast and pelvis, but her stomach was...distended. 

At least that was the only explanation that made sense, because he’d been asleep three days, and hadn’t been in her presence for six days. Pregnancy was impossible, so the only plausible reasoning was a swollen belly. Except when he looked at the vitals two other vitals appeared. 

Heartbeats that paced at 180 and 178. 

“You said three days.” His voice quiet. It wasn’t an accusation. But lies had never existed between them. Perhaps he’d misunderstood.

“You left her alone, and the enemy found her. As they had found my mother Shmi.”

The truth he was implying was sickening. 

He’d told her the station was safe.

Promised her even.

Abandoned her and now...

His anger tore from him, it wasn’t a scream and it wasn’t a cry. Something feral. When the room was quiet save the Emperor’s breathing he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“I will awaken her tomorrow. Today, you will have time to gain control of your emotions.”

“What is growing inside her? Can it be terminated...is she otherwise unharmed?”

The hand withdrew. “It is not a parasite. Unless you’d call me one. They have half her DNA. The other, an unknown genetic line. Different from my own.”

_ They were not his. _ The thought of someone using her as a human incubator was unacceptable. “Does she know?” If she was oblivious, it would make termination easier.

“Unlike my mother she was aware of her condition. Her mind has been altered. As has her mark.”

Rey’s left wrist was bare, he could see the area the circle should be. His fingers grasped the plastic, this time intending to rip it away.

“What does my student plan to do? Carry her off as Han Solo would?”

The rebuke took his bluster. Balling his hands into a fist, he returned them to his side. “What does this mean?”

“It means the alien life form wishes to keep interference at a minimum. If you died, they would lose their host. I do not know how deep the severance, or if you will still have the bond. The twins are female. Sixteen weeks, and four days. I expect her to progress without issue.”

“You can’t expect her to carry-”

“Take it as your penance. Be happy it is all I ask.” The Emperor stepped beside him, his mask turned slightly down as he observed Rey’s sleeping form. “She believes them to be yours. Do not let her believe differently. Her mental state is compromised enough. I could not reason with her. Nor sway her to believe the alien life force wished her ill.”

“Rey is a cardiologist, not some addle-minded girl. Surely once she understands the improbability, and the stage of the pregnancy, there can be no doubt.”

“A being of superior intelligence influenced her. For the purpose of using her to host its new prototypes and something more. I fear the manipulation does not end with the children.”

The med droid clicked and the vitals flashed off. The plastic came down with a phsss of air. Her breathing stayed the same, but he could touch her. Carefully, he leaned down and kissed her lips, they were warm, but unlike the story book there was no change. She slept.

“Take care of her when she wakes, listen to her without judgement. Allow her to confide in you. I know she’ll try to escape.”

Kylo’s large hand engulfed her own limp one. He didn’t look up when he answered. “I’ll take her to my estate, if it has to be under lock and key, we will both be prisoners.”

The Emperor reached out and brushed her forehead in a gesture that appeared almost a caress. The black glove lingered before dragging down to her temple. “The Wayfinder Stone’s location, or means to find it has been given to her. This object has significance to me.” 

Goosebumps had risen on his arm, though Kylo could not perceive a threat. Instead he gripped her hand a bit tighter. “I’ll ask her--”

“You will keep what you know silent, allow her to reveal her secrets.”

“What importance is the Stone?”

This time the Emperor’s hand hovered over her face but did not touch.

“It is everything. What I could do with it. I can feel a--imprint of it on her.” His fist curled and clenched as if an imaginary object was being squeezed to death within his fingers.

The hair under Kylo’s shirt pressed up like hackles against the stiff material of his sleeves. Had it been anyone else, Kylo would have reacted to the instinct of danger without thought. He kept his face impassive, allowing his Master to see nothing. 

“The artifact has the power to bring balance to our people.” The Emperor rested his hands on the table, no longer looking at Rey, the sightless visage now turned back to him. “In the wrong hands, it is anarchy and chaos. Energy, pure and vital it can be wielded for unspeakable acts, or used to create a planet that knows nothing but order and peace. With it, no threat both on Earth and in the heavens would be able to oppose us.”

“Why would Rey be given the means to find this?”

“The passing decades meant little to the alien species that created me. I suspect they are as close to immortal as any life-form has come. I was but a test. Humans have been nothing, but an experimental game for their kind. As a slowly dying species they sought to purify their host. The decline in birthrates was tactical. It allowed the weak genetic links among us to die out.”

“But we’ve evolved, the bond strengthened us.”

“For what purpose? Do you really think they expected nothing in return? The prototypes will evolve until they can host their kind. To procreate their species back into existence.The alien species are too few in number, they sought to cripple our defense, the smaller we became the less of a threat we’d become.”

The Emperor shook his head and gazed once again at Rey. “If she was able to acquire the Stone, and use it, she’d no doubt attempt to overthrow the Empire, to stop me. Erasing the first prototype for the newer ones.” 

Kylo let go of her hand and touched her round stomach. “Why allow the new prototype to survive?”

“They serve the Empire being alive. The people have rallied around your soulmate. We’ve told them little. It is better for them to create the rest in rumor. It burns brighter that way when it travels. You will substantiate the story we’ve established. You and Rey secretly wed months ago. The Resistance captured her and through your valiant efforts you have brought her back. The wife and future mother of your children.”

The strategy would work. Yet he wondered if he’d be able to hide his revulsion at this intruder of his soulmates body. The skin was hard and taut and no doubt would be uncomfortable for her later, but it also had a softness that made him plant his entire hand with fingers splayed over her navel. It was too early to feel kicks, but as his fingers lingered he felt something. A presence of life, that radiated across to his mark with a prickle and …

A flutter

Tiny little movements like butterfly wings that danced against his palm.

“You feel them?” The Emperor asked, but did not wait for an answer. “Protect them as a father. They will love you as normal children will. Together the Empire will thrive for them. The Wayfinder Stone in our hands, will allow us to keep them safe.”

“Did she want them?” He remembered her aversion to pregnancy and motherhood.

“When I showed up, she protected her stomach with all the fierceness of a mother bear. She’ll protect them even from you. Do not forget that.”

“Did she…” Kylo closed his eyes not sure if he wanted to know. “Did she ask for me?”

“Sedation became necessary to keep her from taxing herself to save you.”

He withdrew his hand and watched as the plastic was inflated back around her. As much as he wanted to talk with her, hold her, and sequester her back to his home, he needed this time to organize. He joined the Emperor by the door, and with one last look at her left to walk the halls. 

This time when they walked, it was side by side as equals. They were aboard the Emperor’s personal craft. For privacy and no doubt comfort. The pain medication was wearing off, and his casted arm throbbed.

They arrived at the Emperor’s quarters. The inside was pristine. The black, red and gray tones made the room appear smaller than it was. Sparsely furnished it was not intended to house guests. In fact Kylo had never gone beyond the front living quarters. If there was a bed and refresher he’d never seen it.

The Emperor bade him sit on the single couch. He did only to find it as comfortable as the metal table. The stiff backing did not give at all, and forced his aching joints into an uncomfortable position.

“You have not asked about your mother.”

Kylo said nothing. His mother had known her actions could cause her death. They’d both accepted that part of war.

“I imagine Nova 2002 will make a prison of comfort and deep reflection. A mercy given to my only child.”

_ Did the Emperor mean him? _ “Thank you. I do not expect exoneration for my sake.” 

The Emperor regarded him for a minute. An intercom beeped an alerted them that dinner would be delivered shortly, though Kylo was sure it was just for him. He’d never seen the Emperor eat.

“You have always been my chosen one. I did not want you to grow lazy while you trained or allow others to think the title of Supreme Leader had not been earned. But now you must know the truth.”

A few minutes later he knew everything.

The admission came almost as much of a shock as did Rey’s pregnancy. The knowledge also that Rey had known before him, had stung, but not so much as his mother having kept it hidden. All these years he’d never understood why his mother had never fully embraced him. Always keeping him at arm's length. Now he knew, she’d feared him. Feared he’d become his grandfather.

After a time, he returned to her room. Showered and cleanly dressed in his uniform he wanted his face to be the first image to greet Rey.

The med droid entered an hour later.

“How long do the drugs keep her sedated once stopped?”

The clicking beeps alerted between two and six hours.

She did not need to wake up in such a cold sterile place when his temporary quarters were not far away. Cradling her as best he could with an injured arm, he covered her with a sheet, and observed the few guards he passed who pretending they saw nothing.

The inside of his room had the ability to change to ambient lighting. At the estate he could allow her to decorate and create a home, but this room was devoid of anything aesthetic. Laying her in the middle of the king size bed he tucked her in. The thick blankets hid the swell of her stomach, allowing him for a time to ignore their existence, as he kept vigil.

Two hours later she stirred, but did not waken, her hand moving to rest above the covers over her stomach. Her brows furrowed and he saw worry, as if something in slumber disturbed her. Her hand clamped protectively against her abdomen, her body turned slightly to curl around it.

He understood what he had to do. Not because it was an order, but because it was what she needed from him.

Resting his hand over hers he leaned close to whisper in her ear. “Shhh...they are safe.” 

The furrows of her brow relaxed and he lifted the covers and climbed in bed next to her. Laying on his side he drew her close to his chest. She relaxed slightly. Her hand stayed on her bump, but he only added his own to interlock their fingers together over it. The small flutter feeling returned, and she smiled. 

Together they would make it.

Quietly, he held her and when she would stir and sometimes whimper in fear he’d tell her again.

“They are safe, love. Our daughters are safe.”

  
  
  


  
  



	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much! Story is coming to a close. Can't promise exact chapter count...
> 
> Twins...yes...confusion. I expected it. I promise to tell you. (Last chapter) But till then you're going to wonder who is telling the truth. 
> 
> This chapter isn't going to help. 
> 
> But you do get Kylo and Rey back together.

He was there.

All her worries for one brief moment dissipated in that realization. They laid on the bed and she felt the rise and fall of his chest as he held her close. His hand over her stomach.  _ He knew _ .

“Ben?”

There was the brush of his lips on her shoulder as he rose slightly. She hadn’t woken him, she could tell by his breathing. He’d been waiting for her to wake. Her eyes scanned the room, and while it looked less hospitable than the space station quarters it didn’t appear to be a prison. At least not an obvious one.

“Kylo.” His tone corrected, but without any rebuke. 

Rolling over she faced him. The sight stilled her tongue. His eyes were accentuated by heavy shadows that made them appear sunken. _ If his skin was any paler he’d be dead _ , she thought and shuddered hating how dusky it looked. His gaunt cheekbones had bruising that the semi-darkness could not hide. It made her want to strip his body and find out what he hid under his uniform. When he saw her concern, he kissed her forehead.

“Nothing that won’t heal soon.”

When she tried to protest, he silenced it with his own lips on hers, but it was tempered, as if waiting for her rejection.  _ Did he really think after everything, she’d push him away? _ The temptation to show him in no uncertain terms that he had nothing to fear was overruled by her pragmatic side. 

From the way he guarded her, and the not so subtle glance back at the door, the enemy was not far away. For all she knew cameras watched them even now, which made her skin crawl, knowing nothing between them was private. 

“Let me examine you.” She pleaded. “I can heal the worst of it. Maybe even all of it.”

“Rey, I’ll be fine.”

“They tortured you...I felt it. If they come back, in the state you’re in...Kylo, please just a little, let me look you over.”

“Shh...love. I don’t want a doctor right now. No one is coming to drag us apart.”

His voice told her at least he believed that truth. Rey however trusted nothing after Nova 2002. Remembering how she’d waited for the Empire’s ships to arrive, only to find one sole ship had come to collect her.

The Emperor had disembarked alone. 

Watching the ship she’d expected a garrison of storm troopers to surround him. A general or two at his side, but when he’d stood in the doorframe filling it like a black hole, the realization had hit her with such force.  _ No witnesses _ . Whatever truth’s he’d extract, and however he planned to do so, would only have the audience of stars.

Fear was an emotion she was getting to know on a first name basis. A part of her had wondered if he’d been enjoying her terror, feeding off it as a vampire would blood. The panic he’d invoked, whited out her reason.

In that second he might have won. 

But her hands had protectively wrapped around the new lives inside of her, and she’d found her courage. It was bigger than her now, it was bigger than Ben. And if it took everything she had, no one was going to harm her daughters. 

The Emperor, respirations, reminded her of a leaking oxygen valve. The sucking noise, as he pulled in air and blew it out with a force that made “heavy breathing” take on new meaning. 

“I’m not afraid.” Her chin had tilted up. “You’re a dying man in a suit.”

Inky blackness had stared at her--through her, before stepping into the room to walk towards her. 

_ I’ve faced monsters before, and I’ve defeated them. _

She didn’t flinch when he closed the distance. __

_ I killed Unkar Plutt. _

It felt like a standoff. No weapons, but he was waiting for her to beg, bargain, maybe even attempt a physical attack.

_ I watched him gurgle and claw his throat after he drank that cocktail of drugs I’d put in his morning coffee. _

She pictured her mother, her father, and last Ben dying. 

_ I will kill you. _

This man had ordered her parents death. Allowed his own grandson to be tortured. He’d arrived expecting the usual cowardice. So little contempt for her he’d not even brought a weapon, for what had he to fear from a woman. __

_ Not now, but one day you will try to suck in air and find that I’ve found the weak spot in your armour. Will you gurgle in that suit? Will you claw at your neck?  _

He spoke, and she wondered if he’d read her thoughts or understood the hate in her eyes.

“The will is strong in you. It makes your eyes shine. I see why you have made my student forget his training.” 

With a gloved hand he’d grasped her arm directing her into the Control Room. Letting go when they’d reached the far end of the room. He’d offered her a chair, which she refused.

“Tell me about the alien.”

Clearing her throat, she kept her tone neutral and clipped. Describing herself as if a patient, from the moment she’d awoken, to the second the creature had disappeared. The only tidbit she’d concealed had been the necklace.

“Thorough, Doctor. I however think you’ve failed to properly assess yourself. Let me enlighten you. You are a host. Nothing more. What the alien life force has told you is irrelevant. Can you detach yourself enough to look at the evidence, and arrive at the logical conclusion?”

“Did you order the death of my parents?”

“It told you the truth about your parents to hide its prerogative. You are a means to an end.”

Rey, hadn’t expected remorse, or explanation. “Are you sure that is not your line? You’ve arrived alone. Do you plan to leave alone?”

“That would be most unfortunate. Tell me what you have not, and I will reunite you with Kylo Ren.”

“I’ve told you-”

There was a constriction around her throat, blocking her airway. His right hand fingers were semi-curled, then they opened, and the pressure released.

“I don’t have the Stone.” 

His fingers curled again. The pressure returned. This time it made spots dance in front of her eyes. He released, leaving her gasping. She opened her mouth to repeat, he started again. Her knees buckled, but a chair caught her.  _ Where had the chair come from? _ If it was kindness, it was a cruel one. Panting she didn’t speak, but coughed, gagging almost to the point of retching.

“My patience grows thin, pray do not try it further.”

“Is this how you killed her?” Rey snapped at him. “When your wife needed you the most, did you enjoy taking the last shred of her energy to survive? Did you feel the heartbeats of your children?”

If he killed her now, he’d of killed her anyways. It was a dangerous tactic, but if there was any humanity in him, it was in this. Leia was alive, and that couldn’t be just an accident, he’d allowed her to live, even after he’d acquired her son. 

The Emperor's fingers had frozen. Rey closed her eyes hugging the small bump. Knowing she’d done all she could. 

“I have no soul.” He rasped “But I will never be as evil as those that created me.” 

The gloved hand waved down, and the world had gone dark. 

She’d awoken, but this time to medics of the Empire. The Emperor had not reappeared.

The rest had been a series of waiting from shuttle, to transport ship to the Emperor’s floating home. They’d tricked her on board. Told her to lie down for an exam. Placated her with promises that afterward, she’d be reunited with Kylo and be allowed to heal him.

The lie had been a half-truth, she supposed as she lay in Kylo’s arms.

“For a jail it’s comfortable.” Looking over Kylo’s shoulder she kept her voice nonchalant. “Is the door heavily guarded?”

He didn’t follow her gaze, but waited till she glanced back at him. “Much has changed. You are now the wife of the Supreme Leader.”

Did he really think all was forgiven? Still if no one was guarding them, it might work in her favor. Treading carefully she tried her best to garner information. “Sorry, did I sleep through the “I do’s”?

“We had to explain your condition...Would you like to talk about it, now?”

“What did the Emperor tell you to believe?”

This question she could tell wasn’t what he’d expected. She could almost hear the wheels turning as he regarded her. _ Please don’t lie to me _ , she wordlessly begged.

“Rey, you’re alive.” The way he looked at her, told her that at least the Emperor had not taken away the loyalty they’d developed. “I do not care, except for that.”

She might have argued or tried to pry out his true feelings when her stomach let out an audible rumble. It was an excuse he needed to get up. It was then she noticed the casted right hand, that he tried to pretend wasn’t hiding under his long sleeve shirt. 

Twenty minutes later there was a feast. 

She was starving. Ignoring the salad she went straight for the carbs. Bread, a ravioli dish, potato with pearl onions, and when dessert showed up she was on her second piece of strawberry pie when she looked up to see Kylo watching her with amusement. 

“Sorry, they’re hungry.”

“I will put a fridge in our bedroom.”

Embarrassment didn’t stop her from polishing off the second helping, but it did keep her in check from eating a third. Pushing the last crumb on the plate she tried to put a mutiny of thoughts in order. The room, she mused, created a false sense of security. 

“Is your moth-”

“Living out her days in solitude.”

“Where?”

He didn’t answer.

She set the fork down crossing her arms. “Leia and Han are going to be grandparents.”

“First they’d have to be parents.” 

The bite in his tone made her smile falter. He sighed and went to the door, hitting the communication button and alerting staff the food was to be taken away. When he returned he didn’t sit down. 

Kylo had given her a dress to wear before ordering dinner. The design was in fashion for high society and complimented his uniform. The initial impulse to refuse it for something practical and less feminine had been overruled, by understanding. They were playing a dangerous game, and if she was to be the Supreme Leader’s wife, then she had to look the part.

The material black as midnight had an iridescent shine to it, that was meant to emphasize her impending motherhood. The fabric wasn’t silk, but lighter and when she rose, casheyed around her form like a bell. 

“I have a meeting I must attend shortly, it is to discuss the impending war.”

“I don’t want to stay here.” She didn’t want to sound clingy, or be clingy. Kriff...hormones were not helping either...“The last time you walked out of a room...I don’t want to wonder if you’re going to come back.” 

The weight of everything was heavy between them. Who knew if the Emperor was hanging her life over his head. To demand anything was unfair. They needed to get someplace where the scale would be tipped in their favor. 

“After the meeting…” She started, and paused carefully choosing the words. Kylo did not believe this was the prison. But they needed to leave. “Can we go to your estate?”

“Ours now…” He paused. “If you wish it to be. My earlier offer of allowing you to live there without sharing a room still stands. We can be married in name only.”

It was slight, but she observed the small step he took back. The way he stilled his body. How he was mentally preparing for the rejection.

No, he was not going off alone again. Not into some private hell where she couldn’t reach him. The space between them she’d closed, and now to close the emotional one. Once and for all.. 

Grasping the collar of his shirt, she started unbuttoning it. His good hand tried to stop her. With playfulness she gave it a small smack, before swatting it away. Resigned he patiently waited. When it was parted enough, she drew her hand over his now bare chest, her fingers covering the area where his heart lay.

“Who’s going to take care of this, if not me?” 

A genuine smile was her answer. “It is yours. However, I can’t promise it’s still in the condition you left it.” 

He’d meant it with humor, but the angry bruise that peppered it, kept it from making her feel anything but concern. Closing her eyes, she started to heal when he stopped her.

“No...I’ll be fine. I don’t want to risk it. You and I don’t know how it would affect them.”

She closed her eyes, and tried something else. The creature on the station had told her their bond was unique. Perhaps they could use it to talk without words. They’d been able to conjure up each other’s images, and pass objects. It was worth a shot, anyways. 

Okay...start with a sentence.

_ “ _ **_THE EMPEROR wants the WAYFINDER STONE!!!”_ **

“Kriffing hells!” 

He hissed through gritted teeth, before he wiped the grimace off his face with a less than genuine smile. “Let’s not press so hard on that...spot.” He nodded towards her hand as if it had been the culprit.

“Sorry.”

His eyes flickered a warning. “We will have to set up a nursery.” He touched her stomach. “Perhaps even record me putting together their first cribs.”

She nodded. “No pink.”

**_“I know.”_ ** _ His first attempt was far more successful than hers. “ _ **_You are not safe until he finds it.”_ **

“I detest pink as well. Do you have a theme?”

“Sailboats...I love the ocean.”

_ “ _ **_You have to know something, he’s not just the Emperor. He’s your grandfather_ ** _.” _

_ “ _ **_I’ve already been told this. But...It is nice to know you’d have told me eventually._ ** _ ” _

His hand rested over her bump. “The best artist will be commissioned for a muriel. I’ll hire the nannies.”

“No nannies. Prepare to have no sleep. Or well...maybe, you won’t notice. I hope they have your thick hair.”

There was a flicker of pity in his eyes for her. 

_ “ _ **_They are yours, I know it's impossible. Whatever he’s told you, please. Believe me. I know...I feel it. They are yours_ ** _.” _

_ “ _ **_Rey, you worry needlessly. They are ours_ ** _.” _

“Juniper?” He said softly. “Early for names…”

“I think it’s perfect.”

_ “ _ **_We have to find the Stone first. It’s the only way to stop him_ ** _.” _

_ “ _ **_Do you know where it is?_ ** _ ” _

She pressed her face close to his chest. Worried even as they talked that no secret was safe. The necklace hung invisible around her neck. She felt the weight, but did not dare draw any attraction to it. For a brief second she considered telling him. But something inside warned against it, that he’d not yet freed himself from the Emperor.

“I’m ready to our home.” She murmured. 

“I’ll arrange it. Do you want anything from your house?”

_ “ _ **_The Emperor can’t find it. Do you understand. He doesn’t care about you. Or his family. He killed his wife...his twins survived and-_ ** ”

_ “ _ **_He gave mercy to Leia...but...who is the other twin?_ ** _ ” _

Rey paused. Luke’s name on her lips.

“I wish to keep my residence. It’s large enough and close to my work.”

“Very well. It will stay in your name. As will all your accounts.”

_ “ _ **_How many children does the Emperor know about?_ ** _ ” _

_ “ _ **_One_ ** _.” _

She broke away. Nothing more could be done. Anything more said between them would be dangerous.

“How long is the meeting?”

“Several hours, I am sorry.”

_ “ _ **_The other twin isn’t important. A childless man who lives alone in the District_ ** _.” _

_ “ _ **_Trust me Rey. We don’t need secrets_ ** _.” _

How could she keep this from him? He’d saved her life, had offered to take her place in a misplaced attempt at self-sacrifice. They were a team. They had to stay a team. Giving him a name meant placing another’s life in danger, but...if she couldn’t trust him with this, she could never trust him with the necklace. 

“You know what, I think I’d prefer to join you. Do you think they’ll mind?”

“Whether they do or not does not concern me. Nor will it ever.”

“ **Luke Skywalker”**

He didn’t answer, but other than a small wrinkle of his brow, he seemed to take the news in good stride. Instead he offered her his elbow to take.

She accepted, and together they walked the halls. She kept her face as impassive as his. This was the only way they would win. When they entered the main room, the Emperor was there, waiting at the end of a long obseidon table. Sitting rigidly in seats closely spaced, were an armada of officials, who looked none too happy to see her...or maybe both of them.

Kylo gave a small bow, which Rey copied. 

The Emperor rose from his chair, as did the gathered audience. Rey noticed the seat to the Emperor’s right was empty. The black mask turned to look at the general standing to his left. An older man with thinning hair and a narrow face, who gave a curt nod before he glanced at his side of the table and mouthed “move.”

It was an awkward, but formal shift of bodies as everyone shuffled a chair down. The unfortunate man at the end bereaved of a place, took a sentry position against the wall.

Rey took the left side, and Kylo took the right.

The Emperor once again took his place.

Kylo surveyed the room, and then his eyes met Rey’s for one brief exchange. They’d won a small battle. With a small nod he bade her sit. As if practiced they took their seats in unisom.

A second later the elderly gentleman took his seat next to her, and the room followed like a tidal wave. 

The Emperor broke the silence. “General Tarkin, the Supreme Leader’s wife, will need you to give a very thorough summary of what has transpired in her absence. Afterward we will continue on what must be done.”

General Tarkin rose, his steel colored eyes locked on her own, and in them was passive indifference. However he could not hide the tick in his temple, the small vein that throbbed as, his blood pressure spiked.

“Of course. If any of it becomes too much, please interrupt, my dear. Your delicate condition is my utmost concern.”

She rose, and enjoyed the brief confusion that made Tarkin’s facade crack enough for him to lose the fake smile.

“Doctor Sky, will do for addressing me. I believe we both know I have proved less than delicate, and if I interrupt you, it will not be for idle purpose. Do not waste my time giving me a sugar coated report, or I will have the officer next to you trade places, and start again.”

Tarkin’s eyes flitted to the Emperor. 

Who she was to be, in this War Room would be decided now. If she was scolded for overstepping, she would be deemed nothing more than Kylo’s wife and treated as such. If she won, no high ranking officer would ever question her or her judgement. One day, she hoped this would extend to her orders.

The Emperor stayed silent. The message was clear. 

Tarkin had his answer. His lips couldn’t quite form the smile back, and his words had lost their flattery.

“My apologies, it will not happen again.”

Rey sat down and waved at him to continue. From the corner of her eye she saw Kylo turn his chair slightly her way. 

“ **Well done.** ” 

Tarkin was talking, and Rey did her best to pretend the voice wasn’t communicating with her.

“ **This need not be a game. You were made for such leadership.”**

The Emperor remained motionless. No one in the room knew, but her.

“ **We do not need to be enemies, you and I. Look at them, they are but sheep, they will obey you. Join me. I’ll allow you free hand to rule. Give me what I want and you shall have your equality, your new world, your peace.”**

Rey shifted in her seat. Placing her hands in her lap, keeping her focus on something Tarkin was saying about terms. Paper that the Empire had drawn up for neutral states. Kylo interrupted him and asked if Australia had sent a delegate yet. Rey took the time to turn her head and look at the Emperor directly.

“ **Did you think this trick would keep your secrets? I may not have heard your words, but do not think I did not know. You are clever, but I will always be one step ahead of you.”**

**“I can trust nothing you say.”**

She noticed that Kylo had stopped watching Tarkin and was studying her. 

**“You are not the first Dyad. It is no coincidence you carry twins. Remember that, as you make your plans. I will win, and if you are not with me, you will die. As my wife did.”**

Rey’s heart knocked in her chest so loud she was sure everyone in the room had to be aware of it. Tarkin had stopped talking, and he was looking at her. She was supposed to say something.

“Thank you General, it is enough.” The Emperor spoke for her. “Now, bring up the aerial view of the Resistance locations we know of.”

A green screen flashed on, and Tarkin moved his hands as he shifted the hologram into a better angle for the Emperor to see.

Rey rubbed her temple and tried to focus on the small dots that signified bases. Hoping that if she escaped, some of this might be helpful. 

**“Did you kill your wife because she fought with the Resistance?”**

There was silence. And then an image.

_ A grief stricken man screaming in agony on the ground. Burned and bleeding, and dying. His hair plastered to his face and sweat staining his clothes and he drug his body in the sand. He was screaming a name...but she couldn’t hear it. His cheeks wet, one of his hands was so horrifically burned she could see the bone. _

_ “Give me the Stone, let me save her.” The man begged. “Please, I can feel it. I can save her still.” _

_ An officer bent over him. “Anakin.”  _

_ Hope flickered in the dying man’s eyes. “My tye-fighter was shot down. I couldn’t reach her in time. Save her.” _

_ The officer placed a hand on the dying man’s chest. The hopeful expression was replaced with horror seconds later.  _

_ “No, what are you doing?” Anakin tried to struggle, but the hand pressed harder. “Stop. You cannot take that.” _

Just before the image ended Rey was given a brief glimpse of the officer’s face. One she did not know. But she knew those eyes. The gold rings around dark pupils.

The image faded. 

Two officers were arguing about something. Kylo had risen, but he was looking at Rey with concern. She realized, she’d been massaging her temples as if in pain. Tarkin glanced at her and could not keep his smug smile from ghosting his lips, sure that his earlier assessment had been right.

“ **Now you have the truth. Think on it wisely.”**

The shock almost made her speak aloud, but managed to stifle it, and watched as Kylo rounded the table to join her. 

**“What did the creature take from you?”**

**“What it will take from you, when you are of no more use to it.”**

Kylo’s hands were on her shoulder. He could feel the tension in them. The Emperor did not even turn his face to acknowledge the action. Instead he answered her question. 

“ **Light. In its purest form. The powerful draw it can only extract from a Dyad.”**

The image came to her again. But this time the creature’s hand rose from the Anakin’s chest. And clasped inside of it was her pendant.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is staying healthy from the COVID-19. I know it's complicated my life in more than one way, and I know it probably has yours as well. Hope this chapter helps during quarantine. I split it up because it was getting too long, so another update won't be far behind. Thanks guys so much for reading and all the comments and kudos.

The door shut behind her. It was a quiet click, but it made her jump all the same. When she glanced back Kylo’s relaxed expression assured her all was well. The room was the first of many, but she doubted they changed much from this initial layout. The walls were as bare as the floor. So very empty, she thought, like a blank slate waiting for someone to come in and pick up a brush.

“I rarely stayed here, it reminded me too much of what I didn’t have.” He said as if answering her unspoken question, before touching her elbow gently. “I hope now, that I will rarely want to leave it.”

Taking his hand, they started walking. His boots echoed with a hollow vibration, which was swallowed up by the silence of the house. It made her wish they’d gone to her estate instead. One large flight of stairs, and two hallways they finally reach the master bedroom. The damn door looks like the entrance to some secret villain’s lair. For one it’s made of metal, and there’s a control panel where a door knob should be. When they drew close, she detected a light hum. She tilted her head listening.

“Electromagnetic field in place capable of electrocution, if needed.” He said, and pressed his palm on the screen. There’s a half-second pause and the door hissed open.

“We’ll start here when we baby proof the house.” She muttered under her breath. 

“Lights on” Kylo ordered and the room revealed itself.

“Do the sheets roll back and a droid tuck me in?” she joked, stepping inside only to stop abruptly at the sight before her. Baffled, she pointed to the king size bed. “Explain this.”

“I’d once…” he cleared his throat, and seemed a touch embarrassed at what he was about to say. “I’d once let my fingers stray over a cloth pallet a merchant had shown me for uniforms. I felt this sickness in my stomach when my hands had brushed over orange, and a calm over blue. It was one of the few times I’d known the emotion came from my soulmate, from you.”

Rey went to the bed and ran her hand across the robin egg blue comforter, and the white pillows that looked like fat clouds sitting at their respective spots. “You guessed right. Did anything else come across to you?”

“There was also coffee…” he said, bemused.“I never indulged in anything I deemed unhealthy. One day, I tasted it. I thought, this is sin in a cup--and yet, I’d felt the pleasure wasn’t mine so much as yours. I couldn’t control the connections, but sometimes I’d feel like grabbing a bagel slathered in jam, or wish to suddenly go outside and breathe fresh air.” 

“I hope you enjoyed each one.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Can you unzip this dress?”

He complied and kissed the nape of her neck, before his fingers slowly started working the fabric down.”Did you ever have a moment like that?” He asked, and while he tried to sound nonchalant she could hear the hope in his voice.

“I bought the watch because of you. The one you were so angry about when we first met.” She shivered as his lips pressed between her shoulder blades. “It started with the toothpaste, I couldn’t stand mint one day, and had to switch brands. One afternoon I’d grab an apple, and I just knew how to peel it with a knife in one circle. But, I bought the watch…”

“Hmm?” 

Her dress was off and she stepped out of it, and kicked it away. She’d never told anyone this, and a part of her wondered if this might be a betrayal of sorts. His fingers drifted to her bra clasp and there was a tender sensitivity in her breast as he freed them.

“I saw you once...well not saw, that’s not the right word, but something close,” she confessed quietly, and his fingers that had touched the hem of her panties stilled. “At first I’d wondered if my residency was making me lose my mind a little. You have to know, I didn’t accept the soulmate thing, and I-”

“Rey, we’ve come too far to get hung up on the past.” He whispered into her ear, and then pulled the last bit of cloth down. “Tell me.”

“I was sleep deprived, and exhausted and there was a case that been added, and I knew they were trying to push me out, by wearing me down. I was so tired, so kriffing tired, I wasn’t going to make it, it wouldn’t have been safe, and they’d have the reason to dismiss me. I was in the bathroom sobbing when I felt you.” 

She rubbed her bare arms feeling her skin prickle. “It scared me because I thought you were behind me. But, I was alone. I felt your energy, and I knew I could access it, like a well, and I was desperate. I’m sorry. I just took it, without thinking, without asking.”

It had scared her how much the dip into the energy had given her, in fact she’d begged DJ to find her anything that would make sure she was sealed off. No more tasting apples and feeling shivers of delight that made her nose crinkle, and she could brush her teeth with mint toothpaste and feel nothing.

He laughed, surprising her.

“Ah, that explains the morning I slept in eight hours. And while I’m sure they drew straws, a high ranking officer was sent to my bedroom to check for a pulse.” He kissed her shoulder, turning her to face him.“I wish you’d have taken more. But it is good to know at least once I helped you.”

“I had so much energy, a med droid tested my urine for drugs that day.” She grinned, and reached up to start working his clothes off.

“Dim light to lowest setting.” Kylo ordered.

Her first impulse was to order the lights back on, but his eyes pleaded with her to give him this. Relenting, she helped him shrug out of his clothes. 

A small catch of breath was her only slip, as the last of his clothes fell off him, and “fell off” was such a terrible word, but that’s what they do. Pity, he would never accept, and his pride would see it as an insult. So instead she kept her face impassive and he saw nothing, but the best poker face she had. Her eyes traveled down once, and she couldn’t look again. If she did it would break her resolve to give him this bit of dignity.

“Lay down, and close your eyes.” He whispered and tilted her chin up to keep her focus on him. 

Nodding, she slipped from him to lay down. The bed was firm, the sheets cool against her back. Finding a comfortable spot, she rested with her hands against the pillow and felt the mattress shift as he climbed to join her.

He parted her legs, his lips trailed her inner thigh, grazing with his teeth, stopping here and there to nip playfully. Reaching out she grasped his hair, meaning to give it a tug, but his breath on her skin, made her fingers move him in the right direction. 

“I missed you.” She wasn’t sure if she voiced it, or projected it, but he didn't reply. There’s much she wanted to say, but the ministrations are taking away her words, and more so when his mouth pressed into her warmth finding her clit. His good hand held her steady as he teased her to a slow climax. 

“So beautiful,” he murmured, before his tongue pushed her over, and over. 

It's not just pleasure, but a mutiny of bottled fears, and pent up emotions that finally free themselves, and they break out of her, cracking her resolve to stay strong. Kylo is here, with her. Not dead, not laying on a floor dying, but with her. And there’s so much more, knowing her parents are dead, the unknown with this pregnancy, the coming war, the sheer weight of escaping off the Emperor’s ship, and the implication of Anakin’s vision. So much... 

“Lights off.” Kylo ordered. 

His arms scoop her up. For a minute there is nothing, but the sureness of their bond. And it made her laugh and cry, until she’s sure Kylo is going to start to question her sanity. But, it’s good, God it’s so good, this release. He’s quiet, only kissing her forehead when the last bit of it wrings out. They don’t talk, somethings don’t need to be said to be understood. 

She feigned sleep. After a bit, his breathing was steady. With a feather touch on his cheek, and a twinge of guilt, for what she’s about to do, she placed her free hand on his chest. He stirred.

“Sleep.” 

It’s a testament to how exhausted he was, for there’s no resistance when she pushed him back into slumber-- there’s even a small snore. 

A long drawn out argument might have convinced Kylo there would be no risk to the twins, but she doesn’t want to fight. The healing part of the bond takes no energy from her, and he’ll just have to trust her judgement on this. Right now he needs a doctor.

From a clinical standpoint, he shouldn’t leave this bed for at least a week. Brutal treatment is an understatement, this torture was cruel, the bruising isn’t random, the Knights of Ren went for vital spots. The areas around the kidneys and spleen have the deepest bruising. 

Concentrating, she opened the bond. At first she tried to keep detached. Start from the top, assess, target, and so on. There’s even a bit of dictation to it, as she methodically worked her way from one area to another. 

Sternum is fractured. Both shoulders appear to have been dislocated and set badly, tissue repair in progress, extensive cellular damage with evidence of new injury over existing trauma, bones in forearm have been snapped indicating the arm was twisted in a horrific angle.

Her cheeks are wet, but she managed to finish the broken bone, and move on.

Two rib fractures, slight anemia from blood loss, further deep bruising, appears to have liver laceration, and there is evidence of fluid around the spleen…

”How the fuck are you walking?” Checking his blood stream she finds it, the opiods, copious amounts of it. 

“I aught to wake you up just to slap you.” She mumbled, wiping her eyes. “Kriffing hells, did you think the painkillers would work forever? Damn ego, I should…” She sniffled, and focused back on the work of healing. Kidneys, one appeared healthy, the other had significant…

One hour later she yawned, it took less time than she thought. Too bad he can’t see her smug smile. He’s all dead weight, but she snuggled under his now healed arm, pressing her cheek to his chest. She wanted to be close to him, but also to listen. It’s an addicting sound, it lulls her into slumber, the white noise of a strong beating heart. 

______

The camera’s making her nervous. Kylo can see it in her eyes, and the way she scooted as far back in her seat as humanly possible. He doesn’t smile, it would look fake. He’s never smiled to the populace, but she does, and it makes up for both of them.

A female TV anchor is talking to Rey, and her questions come natural even if they have been rehearsed and fettered by the Empire--twice by him.

“Will you have an official wedding?” The anchor started after a few pleasantries. 

The reporter was not randomly chosen, Claire, or Clara, he tried to remember, was hand selected by him after given several options. When presented with the photos and bio’s he stopped when he saw her mocha skin and ringlet hair with bright eyes. There’s no lying to himself, she reminded him of Juniper. 

No detail has been left to chance, the anchor is conservatively dressed, making sure not to compete with Rey's beauty--not that she could. Rey’s glow hasn’t left her, if anything it’s deepened into something that makes Kylo nervous. He’s not sure why, but it sets his teeth on edge, as if whatever had tampered with her earlier, is tampering with her still.

“Yes, we will have one once our children are born.” Rey politely responded, giving his hand she’s holding a squeeze, the one that should be in a cast. “Keeping me healthy is our top concern. This short time till their birth  _ should _ be peaceful.”

That is not a scripted line. 

The reporter stiffened and her painted mauve lips worked the next question out a little less sure. “We’ve been told to expect pink?”

“We can’t confirm gender,” Rey gave a wink at an audience she can’t see, as if they are in on the secret. 

It's a move Kylo knows will win her support, and he doesn’t smile, but his lips relax into something close. “Twins are healthy. That I can confirm.” He added.

“You’ve had quite an adventure, we’re so glad you are both back and safe.”

This is supposed to end the footage. Short and sweet. Except Rey, she’s opening her mouth to talk more.

**“DO NOT-”** He projects towards her.

The communication is shut smartly from her side. They will have a talk about that later. If he wasn’t on live TV they’d already be yelling--discussing it.

“Thank you, it’s been trying, mostly with the misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?” 

The reporter if she had any sense would call it a day. but instead she leaned into Rey to further listen. His eyes find the camera man. Kylo is pretty sure his expression said enough-- _ Shut it off. _

But, his soulmate is a step ahead of them, and she doesn’t waste a second of their live air time. Rey smiled and gave the camera her full attention, her face innocent, but Kylo knows she’d been calculating this precise second.

“I wasn’t kidnapped, I simply sought to reunite Kylo with his mother and father.” She looked apologetic and embarrassed. “Blame the hormones, but they are going to be grandparents and I want them to be involved.”

The cameraman gives a cut off gesture to Kylo, but it’s too late. The reporter stood up, and her hands shook. No doubt wondering if the enraged expression on Kylo’s face is directed at her.

“Leave.” He snarled at the news crew. They don’t pack up, so much as grab what they can and flee like displaced ants on a hill.

There’s a picture of water sitting on a table in front of Rey. When he grabbed it half the content sloshed out. Her expression isn’t fearful, or even apprehensive, instead there’s a sense she’s waiting for him to throw it against the wall, and have another--he catches the word in her eyes--temper tantrum.

Pouring her a glass, gave him a second to swallow the torrent of words he wanted to unleash. There’s a stretch of silence, after she thanked him for water. Finally, with a defeated sigh, he took the seat next to her again, the rage gone.

“Why?” 

“You know why.”

Yes, but while they’d hotly debated over breakfast, about the Empire’s plan to strike soon, it had been agreed, they’d negotiate together. The aired broadcast was going to be a PR nightmare, and no doubt, the last live air they’d sit down for.

“War is inevitable, this will not stop it.”

“What if we give the Resistance a reason to comply? What if the Empire was something they wanted to join?”

Hormones, it had to be, Rey had more common sense than this. His knowledge of the maternal human body was limited. _ “Weepy creatures,”  _ Tarkin had confided to him in private.  _ “They need lots of reassurance and patience.” _

“Rey,” he started. “I know you wish to help me-”

“I’m going to pretend that voice isn’t full of male chauvinism.” She snapped. “I don't have twenty years, and I’m sorry, but we need to do something big, something that would show we’re serious about equality.”

“I can’t make laws, and implement them in a time of war.”

“No, that’s not what I propose. The republic isn’t going to film the construction of the first crib, it’s going to film something better.”

“As in?”

“Me placing that pacemaker your father still needs. I’ll even forget, and forgive the carbonite prison, you failed to mention.”

His jaw must be hanging open, because she tucked playfully under it.

“No.”

Damn her, there’s a look in her eyes, a determined one. This shouldn’t become a discussion. She should be happy he was a merciful son to a traitor of a father, and... _ Why is she crossing her arms? _

“You cannot stare me down and win, love.” 

He rubbed his temple, feeling the start of a headache. Rey arched an eyebrow, her eyes assured him that--yes--she could in fact do that.

“The Emperor would never allow it.”

She glanced around their living room, as if unsure she could speak openly. No matter how many times he reminded her no one was listening, she remained distrustful of their privacy. 

“It is just us. What you ask will never be granted.”

“I’m not going to ask, I plan to demand it. I have at present, the Emperor’s favor. The Resistance will know, I have some control if I can pull this off. There’s something he wants from me, loyalty. If the Emperor agrees, it will put me in his debt. He’ll not forget that.” 

There was some truth in that. But was it worth the complication? His father would not comply with an operation without knowing where his wife was at. Still, recovering from carbonite tends to take a lot out of a person. He could be sedated quickly, and wake up in recovery. After that...no reason, Mother’s prison couldn’t be a prison for two. 

“I can’t tell if you’re getting ready to agree or argue.” Rey said, annoyed.

“Battles and wars, love. You just won a small battle.”

She’s so joyful in her smile, that he doesn’t remind her that it only matters who wins the latter.

______________

It takes Rey three days to secure a meeting for the formal demand (though Kylo had advised to use the term proposition) in front of the Emperor. 

A man she had come to hate, General Tarkin, had vehemently called the request a breakdown of established norms and domestic practice. A room of all males, had in so many condescending words and actions mocked her. Kylo, who wasn’t on board with the idea and who stood by her anyway, had almost strangled a cheeky officer who’d asked him how it felt to switch his Y-chromosome for an X. 

Yet, through it all, she’d kept her chin high and answered every horrid insult with reason, facts and courteous decorum. The Emperor had reacted to nothing, until an officer had risen, pointed a finger at her, and called her a “Resistance loving traitor, who was fooling no one with her bastard children she carried.” At this the Emperor rose from his seat, and when his arm pointed there’d been a weapon in it. The officer’s insult was the last spoken sentence, though Rey was pretty sure the officer died trying to mouth an apology.

The Emperor had left, and the next morning Kylo had woken her with news, she’d be scrubbing in for surgery. When she’d asked when, Kylo had grinned and told her to get dressed.

She wasn’t sure if this was a punishment, reward, or perhaps the Emperor had a sense of humor. One hour notice. No preliminary labs, no EKG, no talking to the patient. But if she refused, there would never be another chance; Solo would go back to his prison--maybe forever. This, she thought with unease, was walking the Hippocratic Oath on a thin trapeze wire.

Putting her scrubs on, almost brought on tears. Up until that moment, a part of her had believed not even Kylo could grant her such freedom. A rush, much like the first time she stepped into an operating room, sang in her blood. Good God, she missed this. The short ride to the hospital, an elite one that allowed high security, she’d read the chart and vitals. Now in the ante chamber separating the operating room she glanced through the window.

Patient Han Solo, was already on the table. 

A news crew was there, Clara in blue scrubs. Rey had wanted to make sure she had the story. The surgery was a simple one. Forty-five minutes, maybe an hour. It’s not open heart surgery, and those that tune in for blood and gore, will be sadly disappointed. The timer, Clara had told her was set with a one minute delay, in case something went wrong. It’s a good precaution. The odds of death are low, even for Solo. 

“Don’t tell me the odds, kid.” Solo’s voice reminded her as she snapped on the second set of gloves.

The ghost of his memory made her smile as she walked to the table.

It’s all going to be okay.

She was halfway through the surgery when it all went to hell in a handbasket.

Blood pressure is dropping. 

Heart rhythm was going in and out of A-Flutter. 

And she realized in one blinding moment, that Han Solo was going to die on camera.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are staying healthy. This chapter is going to keep a bit Canon for some characters. Pushes a box of tissues across the table.

The surgery had started with finding out Hux of all people had prepped her patient. They are not having the surgery at her hospital, the security risk is too big, and so it is at a private elite center, where the machinery is pristine. The equipment is state of the art and where she’d have to compete for resources and make due with outdated supplies at her previous operating room, she wanted for nothing here.

She’d already talked to the audience, and explained a few basic things. Armitage Hux had stepped off camera for that, and so she made sure to give him a full hero welcome that he deserved.

“This is my wonderful assistant, Armie.”

“Dr. Hux.” He almost hissed, but at the last second made it sound cheery. “It’s an honor to serve the Empire.” He added.

If he thought this was going in his favor, he was about to get a fun reminder that he was the “assistant.”

She pointed to her supplies, and with a polite tone asked him, and not the nurse for everything. It was petty, but revenge of this kind would not be served up again. Unable to stop herself she took it a step further.

“Maddy, how is she?”

“Fine.” His chipper tone was so forced it almost whistled through his teeth.

“Oh, the audience doesn’t know who Maddy is,” she said as if it was a whoops instead of  _ I’m going to make you fucking pay, for everything you tried to take from me _ . “That’s Armie’s soulmate.” 

She nodded to the cameraman and spoke to the live audience. She’d promised Kylo nothing off script, and so she kept it innocent, even if everyone from here to Alderaan would be able to read between the lines. “An amazing nurse, and mother to soon to be, three boys?”

“Yes, we’ve been fortunate with all sons.” Hux muttered, and then remembered the camera. “A healthy child is all a father could ask for. My wife does not miss her career. Motherhood suits her well.”

She smiled into the mask and moved to start the process of placing the pacemaker. “There is nothing better than balance in a relationship. Don’t you agree?”

Hux eyes narrowed slightly, and he started to reply when the monitor showed a small drop in blood pressure. Nothing big, but the five minute cycle had gone from 115/78 to 99/60. The pulse looked strong, and it beat across the screen, but she didn’t like that blood pressure.

“Take that blood pressure again.” She asked the nurse, forgetting her game with Hux, it was all business now.

86/58

_ Shit, _ okay, nothing that didn’t crop up in surgery before. The drips were adjusted, and she started mentally going through his medical history. High risk, yes, he’d never taken care of himself, and his labs hadn’t been steller. 

A few minutes later the blood pressure dipped again. 75/50.

Hux looked at her, and she was relieved to find it wasn’t smug satisfaction, but professional concern. “I can only turn the drip up a little more.” He whispered, what she already knew. 

She nodded, and for a few minutes it worked. The pacemaker was in and it was time to close up when the heart rate pinged. 

66,62,58,55,52,48….42

Fuck. 

50/32

The surgery was about to turn into a code, she could feel it. 

Hux and her started the life saving measures. Her mind going through the million different possibilities of what went wrong. The pacemaker in, there wasn’t a bleed, not one she could see. 

38, 35, 30, 28, 20

40/28

“Call a code.” More people showed up. The numbers held for a second, but the cardiac rhythm was turning into A-flutter.

And Rey knew that she had one option. 

“Stop.”

Her gloved hand rested on his chest. A team of personnel looked at her, expecting her to ask for the defibrillator. Hux was half-way muttering, “The heart was damaged, too damaged.”

Instead she closed her eyes, and tried to heal. There was resistance, as if his body was trying to reject her help. Why? Was it only easy with Kylo because he was her soulmate. It was like cutting skin with a dull knife. Concentrating, there was silence in the room except for Hux who was trying to get her attention. “Rey, let me take over. The Supreme Leader...your husband, just walked in.”

Solo’s heart. It beat slowly...quivered actually.  _ Dying _ , Rey thought,  _ I’m watching his heart die _ . The terribleness rested in knowing why. She could see the internal damage, assess the weak walls of the carotid that tried to pump blood into the chambers. But the energy didn’t flow through her into Solo, instead as she attempted to mend, an exchange started that didn’t pass so much as drain from her life force.

Kylo’s hand covered over hers.

“Rey stop. I can feel what you’re doing.” 

“He’s not gone, not yet.” She whispered. “I can see the heart.”

“What’s she talking about?” Hux asked.

“You can’t heal him.”

If she took her hand off Han would die. Kylo was going to force her to stop. Already,he was trying to gently lace his fingers through her own. 

“Help me.” She begged him.

And she felt him try. For a second, felt his energy cross and intertwine...but as they tried together the world started to swirl to gray. 

**“Ben.”**

There was a voice, but she didn’t think it was to her...an echo as if she was hearing it from another room.

It was Leia.

______________

His mother

The tired General no more. Instead she was almost young looking, one of her hands cupped Kylo’s face. Rey flickered in his peripheral, but it’s as if there are two operating rooms, two tables. The sight disjoints him, people are moving on one side. Hux is looking frantically pulling at his mask, yelling at the staff. But in this mirror-image it’s just him, his mother and father who lay on the table.

“Ben, you need to have her let go. This gift can’t pass this way. It cannot save the dead.”

“I’m sorry Leia--Mom,” He looked at his father, but the breathing apparatus, IV’s and drapes hid his features. “I shouldn’t have allowed this.”

“Nonsense. Your dad and I will be just fine. Only damn way we were ever going to spend quality time together anyways. You have to know, he loved you. Always.”

“Mom, I-”

“I’m proud of you. There isn’t time for what I should’ve made time for. For that I’m sorry.”

He nodded, unable to say more. His mother’s hand rested on his father’s chest. “You talked to him before they put him under.”

Yes he had, but he hadn’t known it was going to be the last time. Walking into the room Kylo had wanted to clear the air. Let his father know afterward that he’d join his wife, and his smuggler days were over. He had the speech planned with little room for conversation.

But Han had looked like the old man he was on that white bed. So much so, that Kylo wondered if the carbon prison had created the effect. It made him feel a twinge of guilt, and when his father had stirred, the speech had caught in his throat..

“Looking good, son.” Han grinned and stretched his arms behind his head. “Don’t worry, best damn sleep I’ve ever had, you should try it sometime. I Feel great, don’t even think I need this operation.”

Kylo tried to disagree, but his dad waved him off. “Rey, she’s sweet. Make you chase her far?” He smirked. “Don’t fault an old man for helpin a beautiful woman, figured you guys would work it out later.”

And suddenly Kylo needed advice, something he couldn’t ask anyone else. The words tumbled out before he could stop them. “Dad, there’s something I need to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it. It’s complicated, and I love her. But...I’m going to be a father.”

“Well if Kylo is asking me, he has about as much chance as Jabba does of getting in a two-piece swimsuit. But if Ben is asking…”His dad held out his hand for him to take. “Ben might have a chance. His mom’s courage and his dad’s dumb luck run in those veins.”

Kylo took his father’s hand. “Surgery will be soon, I’ll see you when you wake. You and mom, can enjoy retirement.” He gave the hand a squeeze and took his leave.

He was almost to the door when he turned.

“I know.” His dad answered, and grinned as he had ever sense, Ben could remember. The one he always gave right before he said goodbye.

Now in the chaos of a mirrored-view operating room his mother was bending down kissing his father’s forehead. “Come on you nerf-herder. It’s time to go.”

The room waved into focus. Rey was slumping against him, nearly ready to buckle, he wrenched her hand free from his father’s chest.

The chest had not been unaffected, the skin around it had been in the process of healing.

Rey was pale and she was already tipping to the right when Kylo caught her. Hux wasn’t looking at her though, instead his eyes were glued to the body on the table. 

“I don’t understand.” Hux said bewildered. “What did you do?”

Troopers flocked in. Dozens of them, and one in a red suit. 

“Turn off the cameras.” Phasma snapped.

Kylo gave his father one last look, a nurse had already silenced the monitor. Rey was cold.The med droid would need to check her over.

She stirred in his arms. 

“Ben…” She murmured. “I’m sorry.”

She shivered and her head lolled back against his bicep. 

General Tarkin was waiting for him in the hallway outside the operating room. He glanced at Rey, and snapped an order for her to be taken for evaluation. Kylo stiffened and tried to counter that order.

“The Emperor wishes to speak with you. It’s about the Resistance.” Tarkin said and pointed at the nearest person in white to take Rey from him. 

“My father’s death…” the words felt thick on his tongue, but he continued. “Han Solo’s death no doubt has spurred us into war.”

When Rey was lifted from his arm, he gave the order for Hux to personally attend. The man’s prosperity was tied directly to his good graces. Something the physician would not forget when he checked her over.

Tarkin waited till his arms were free and they walked together. He could sense his soulmate’s life force, and he tried not to look back as they drifted farther away from her. “It seems they’ve had a change of heart. But, I don’t trust them, it could be a trap.” Tarkin said, tersely. 

“What are they demanding?”

Tarkin paused at the elevator. A stormtrooper had already hit the button, and so they waited for the carriage to open.

“Peace. They wish to negotiate.”

__________________________

Rey rolled over on the bed and puked. Brown shoes moved quickly to avoid the splatter. Thankfully, her stomach was almost empty and there wasn’t much but stomach bile.

“Nice to see you too.”

The voice kidded and Rey looked up shocked. “Luke?”

They were not alone. BB-8 and R2D2 flanked him. Also Hux, who was leaning against the door, looking like he wanted to throw up.

“They’ll execute me over this,” he whimpered and peered out the window. “You can’t expect to get away with this.”

Luke was dressed in blue scrubs, white coat and a mask that hung loosely around his neck. He shot Hux angry stare, that quieted the man. 

Her fingers spread over her bump, and she noticed Luke’s expression turn serious. “Did you check them out, are they okay?”

“Healthy as far as I can tell. Rey, what is this? I used Hux’s wife Maddy to get access into here, but I need to know what the hell is going on.”

“Hux?”

At his name her collegue blanched. “You promised to keep that a secret. I-I had no choice. Maddy and the boys are gone, and if I didn’t help, they wouldn’t come back home.”

Well that explained his sudden turn traitor. There was a beeping noise and BB-8 rolled forward. Rey smiled and looked down. “No, we're not escaping. It’s different now. No more running.”

“Thank the Moons,” R2D2 finally spoke. “Did you know they tried to put me in a storage locker? I do hope you’ll allow me to attend you. My logs on maternity, childbirth and twin pregnancies is extensive. For example did you know that you will burn an additional 1000 calories when you breastfeed. I also have an extensive log on lactation, which-”

“You’re not going to be her wet nurse.” Luke said, and BB-8 beeped twice. Rey grinned.

“It is impossible for me to be a wet nurse.” R2D2 said indignantly, but chose to stay silent after that.

“The Resistance sent me here. There’s no nice way to say this. They need to know who the father of those twins are. Poe and Chewie claim you were not pregnant when they left the space station. In fact they’d reported…” He cleared his throat. “You were gone. They couldn’t explain it, and they’d assumed you’d been killed.”

“Did they get the data from the consul?”

“Yes. It’s been looked over, and frankly, we’re baffled. It’s a game changer. And the way Kylo Ren has been acting, it’s given cautious hope. But the twins…”

“Are Kylo’s.” She said and the droid beeped. She frowned, and tried to keep the defensiveness out of her voice. “It’s not impossible. And I…” She glanced at Hux who was shifting on his feet. “You need to step outside.”

“I can’t there’s twenty guards out there, and the one in red scares me.” Hux shuddered. :”I think she knows.”

“If she did we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” She sighed and looked at the cabinet. “Cotton balls it is.”

A minute later Hux looked even more miserable. Luke had put so many in, it looked like he had a pillow between his ears. For added effect he was instructed to cover both ears with his hands and keep his eyes shut. 

She explained everything. At the end Luke found a roller chair and sat down..

“I don’t like this.” He said looking at her stomach. “The alien species was advanced enough to speed up a pregnancy, and I’ll put it bluntly, I’m suspicious you are not being manipulated.”

“It’s possible.” She admitted. “Why are you here?”

“To find out if Kylo is in your pocket or the Emperors.” He said, his voice dropping. “And if you needed me to, help you escape.”

“It’s complicated. She glanced at the place her mark should be. “Kylo and I, we’re a team and I care about him, maybe more.” She tucked a hair behind her ear, and wondered how he took those words. His eyes held no judgement instead she thought she detected some relief in them. “I’ll see about getting Leia freed. Han, I tried, but it was-”

“He outlived his expiration date by twenty years, it’s a blow, but not one I haven’t been expecting. My sister,” he paused. “If you can get her returned to one of the free countries, I’ll take care of her. But, maybe she’ll want to spend the last days with you, with her son.”

“What demands will the Resistance make?”

“Too many.” He said, and his smile was a sad one. “But, if the guard is changing, we’d have hope.”

“Then I’ll do my best to give them that.” She stood up and Luke rose as well. He was putting his face mask back on when she thought of something. “Can I ask you an odd question?”

“Of course.”

“Do you know any of the details of your birth? Did anyone show up? An officer...someone who shouldn’t have been there?”

Luke hesitated. “I once talked to the nurse who was with my mother. A lot of people were in the room. It was chaos.”

“Probably couldn’t tell.” It had been a long shot. 

“There was one odd thing. A resistance fighter, they assumed a spy broke into the make-shift nursery. The nurse said she discovered him standing over my crib with my sister in his arms. He handed her the baby without protest and they escorted him out. He was detained, but escaped from his cell. 

“Did he have gold eyes?”

“I wish I could ask her, by the time I met her she was dying of emphysema. The only thing she mentioned was all the time the man was watching her, she could’ve swore he never blinked.”

_____________

Kylo sat next to the Emperor on board his ship and listened to the demands. Some were unreasonable. He could not allow the very few women born with the ability to bear children to choose not to do so. But for starters he could allow them more rights, and if not reproductive freedom perhaps they would accept terms that made it feel less of a burden. 

Rey’s memory of Paige in the kitchen came to his mind as he studied the petition for equal parental rights. It would stir a hornet's nest, but he’d strongly push to have them accept the condition. It was the first day, no one expected more than an audience. But, he’d made it clear from the start his wife’s presence. Unable to attend he’d kept her position, an empty seat on the Emperor’s left stood open. Next week if her health had improved, she’d attend in person.

This, Kylo suspected, had made the Resistance trust him. Not completely, but enough that he’d secured another meeting. One which would bring two of the free countries delegates into the discussion, a feat that hadn’t been possible before. It was a promising start.

A few times voices rose, but he watched distracted. Wondering how his mother would’ve handled all this. For the first time he wished she’d been present. They wouldn’t have squabbled--at least that’s what the table appeared to be doing. His men in gray, stabbing the electronic pads in front of them at all the things they disagreed with. The resistance envoys shouting the freedom jargon back, but not as boisterous as they could get. Most had never met the Emperor before, and he suspected his looming presence had subdued much of their passionate speeches.

Thankfully the Emperor was in no mood to listen for longer than an hour. He rose, spoke to no one and left. Kylo followed and for a few minutes they walked in silence.

“You’re father is dead.” The Emperor stated. “Do you grieve?”

“I will bury him. Can I arrange for my mother’s return?”

The Emperor stopped. A large window looked out into the sky expanse. “She is dead.”

He’d known her death was coming, but the blunt words took him by surprise. He turned away and put a hand on the glass. For a few minutes there was nothing but the mechanized breathing. Once he had control again he nodded. “I’ll make arrangements for a burial. I’m sorry, it is late. Is there anything we need to discuss?”

“Grief loosens tongues. Perhaps this tragedy will serve a purpose. Your wife had a visitor today. One I allowed.”

Kylo's eyes narrowed. “Who?”

“Her mentor, Luke Skywalker. But, it serves me to keep this a secret. He has unwittingly aided me today. Your soulmate will reveal all to you, soon. Make sure I am informed when she does.”

“Of course, Master. The peace talks, how will you proceed?”

“You will sit in my seat. Your wife will sit beside you. Proceed, as an Emperor would. Master to all, but me.”

“Grandfather…” He tested the words and found it didn’t roll off the tongue naturally. “Your daughter, my mother--forgive me. I have not offered my own condolences.” 

“I allowed her to live. It was the only affection I could give. Do not think it was your hand alone that protected her.”

At this the Emperor took his leave, walking off to where the lights were lowered, and the shadows didn’t seem to swallow him so much as embrace his dark form.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've marked the chapters so you know how many are left. 
> 
> Hope you guys are doing okay in this crazy world right now. Thanks so much for hanging in there and supporting this work with kudos, comments and hits.

The forced calmness he’d composed his features into for the last several hours he could finally drop when Rey rolled over in bed, her light breathing telling him she was asleep. The Emperor had been correct, she’d in grief told him everything. 

By her account the alien species was dead, extinct--which gave him no relief or comfort. He needed something to fight, to defeat, an enemy. The revelation had deepened his mistrust that all was not right, and something malevolent rested between them.

_ She’s not safe. _

It was an uncomfortable feeling that welled in the pit of his stomach. What she possessed--the necklace, still lay around her neck. He’d held out his hand for it. She’d stalled, asking what he meant to do with it. In turn, he’d placated, trying to cajole her into parting with it. 

Of course their bond meant she sensed the truth. Once removed he had no plans of letting her have it back. He’d have snatched it from her--that thought he’d managed to keep to himself. However it was impossible.

He couldn’t tear away what he couldn’t see and worse yet, what he couldn’t feel. 

Had Rey been anyone else, he’d of thought her crazy. But he could see through her eyes the pendant, and it was only by using that link that he knew it truly existed. He’d tried to touch it and she’d issued a warning. 

Not from her lips, but across their bond. __

_ Kriffing hells that had stung _ . She’d used enough force he’d involuntarily recoiled as if burned. She’d felt guilt over causing him pain, and her eyes had laid on the invisible object with concern, but she’d still not taken it off.

That was only part of the problem.

Tomorrow, he’d have to report. No response, would be a response in itself. The Emperor would know if he lied, and what would his Master do if he told him the truth? She had no idea what the object did, only that it was tied to the Wayfinder Stone. 

Rey stirred beside him, her brow furrowing. “Sleep love,” he whispered and kissed her forehead. Crawling out of bed he left her, not wanting to disturb her dreams with his restless thoughts.

Shirtless, he opted to slip into gray sweatpants. The weight room was a floor below and he made his way downstairs, needing to find an outlet. The lights flickered on and he went to the matted area. He didn’t warm up, instead chose the hardest of the task, which was a droid set up for combat. It was red from head to foot, it’s body built with armour, and a single baton weapon that could be unsheathed in a fight. The droid possessed no artificial life, just files and files of drills that he had to deflect and attack.

Its red eyes glowed when the droid turned on. “Program waiting.” It drolled.

“Unknown assailant.” He ordered, it was a command that let the training bot pick its own defense. 

The attacks came ruthless, and he scored one hit in the first session. His back was sheened in sweat. It took all his focus, making him move with precision and single thought. When the droid canted to the left, he suspected it was a feigned attempt at drawing him in. He easily outmaneuvered the intended trap. The program switched tactics and this one was reckless. The moves over the top, but dangerous in their unpredictability. 

A bit like his dad.

The program switched again, and this time it calculated his moves. The droid mimicked for a minute, and then started to counter with perfect timing, making him back almost off the mat. If his foot stepped on to the hard flooring, the droid would cease the exercise and the training would end as a defeat. The droid retreated, giving him quarter, allowing him another chance. 

Something his mother would’ve done.

Sweat stung his eyes--at least he told himself it was sweat--as some of it rolled down his cheeks. He wiped the moisture off with the back of his hand, clearing his vision, before he drove at the droid again. This time he took the reckless attack at the start, and when it stumbled back he switched to Lathurian combat. The droid adjusted, but Kylo had already switched on a dime to Alrudyliums defense. The droid adjusted again, but he kept switching, and finally when it estimated he’d switch back to Lathurian death blow he ducked and rolled, luring it into a trap only to hit the pressure point at the base of it’s mechanical neck, ending the training.

The sound of his breath came out ragged as he knelt on the mat. His palms sweaty enough to leave handprints as he forced himself to stand up. It was then that he noticed the bots eyes were back on.

“Droid end session.” He ordered.

The droid instead readied itself for another fight. Kylo stepped off the mat, which should automatically turn it off. The droid’s red eyes kept track of him.

“I’ve trained you well, Kylo Ren.” The droid's voice didn’t change from the droll monotone dialect, but he knew who it was.

Shaken by the change of events he dropped to a knee and made sure his face didn’t reveal any of his inner thoughts. 

“It seems we have never sparred, not once in all our years.” The droid unsheathed its baton. “Take a weapon.”

He rose, and walked to the wall where sparring weapons rested on brackets. He chose a rapier, whose blade was dulled, but weighted enough to cause the damage of a sword. Once returned he stepped in position.

The droid was meant to be lethal and now that the Emperor controlled it, this could go one of many ways. The model had been designed years ago by his Master, for him and the Knights of Ren to advance their training. Over time he’d won more lessons then he’d lost, but he still remembered the damage the machine could inflict. Once it had caught him off guard and dislocated his shoulder, and twice he’d been knocked so badly he’d almost lost consciousness. It could kill, even with the safety measures put in place.

“You are conflicted. You did not come straight to me, as you once would have.”

“It is not conflict that stops me.”

“What has kept a student then from the task of his Master?”

Unlike a regular droid it’s gears allowed stealth and speed in movements. The mock battle started with only the slightest nod from the Emperor before the machine struck, with a deft sweep meant to take Kylo’s head from his shoulders, had he not ducked and parlayed to the right quickly. 

He danced on the balls of his feet, and barely avoided another knockout blow. The ferocity made him switch his course of action quickly. Defense would wear him down, and the droid had no such weakness.

“Perhaps it is because I am no longer the student. And what I must solve, I must solve alone.”

“I can see you have chosen, but have you chosen well? Do you have what it takes to best me?” 

Kylo offered the droid a faint hint of a smile. “The only failure in my training would be to answer with anything, but a yes.”

“Proceed student and shrug off that mantle once and for all.”

A small nod, and they clashed again.

Kylo found little error on the droids' part, however, fighting via machine did not give the Emperor all the advantage, it could not sense him, not on the primal level that allowed it to do more than assess and respond. He went for the knees of the machine, knowing that if he took that out this would be over quickly. 

As if suspecting such an attack, the droid not only out maneuvered the downward sweep, but caught his hand holding the rapier with a strike that snapped across his fingers. The pain he could ignore, but two broken fingers weakened his grasp on the handle and forced him to change from his right to left hand.

He gritted his teeth, and backed up two steps, not quite off the mat. There was an unspoken rule, the win had to happen within the confines of the small perimeter. 

The Emperor spoke through the droid as it circled him on the mat. “I know they gave her something. But now I suspect it is something she cannot remove?” Without waiting for an answer it tested his defense, and tried to find a fatal opening. “You fight for her, not for the Empire, not for the power it would bring you to win.”

Kylo stayed silent. He noticed the droid was letting him believe he had a clear shot of its torso, but he didn’t take it. Instead he skirted the edge of the mat hoping to distract. It worked, and when another blow came he allowed it to swipe hard against his lower back as he angled himself close enough to wrap his arms around the droid and draw it down. 

Rey was going to have a few areas to heal when this was over, Kylo thought as he drove it towards the ground. The knees of it buckled, and they rolled back to the middle of the mat.

“Yes,” Kylo answered both questions as he grasped the droid's forearm holding the weapon and using the precious second of having disarmed it momentarily, brought the handle of his rapier down on the face blinding one eye. 

The upper hand Kylo had achieved was reversed when the droid’s free hand grasped his throat and hurled him up and over. He managed to somersault the inertia of the throw, and land in a half crouch.

The bot did not stay on the ground long, taking a step towards Kylo. “I could feel it on her skin, the imprint of the light. She doesn’t understand the gift given, but I do.” The droid's weapon swished the air a breath away from Kylo’s neck making him once again retreat and shield.

It however could not fix the problem of the crushed eye, and Kylo knew even as he moved the head was not tracking him as well. 

Three times they exchanged blows. Kylo had added a broken thumb to the already injured hand, but the right arm of the droid now hung useless at its side. The odds were in his favor, but he didn’t not allow his ego to blind the fight thinking he had a guaranteed win. His mouth was bleeding and half of the Emperor’s strikes through the droid were hitting marks before he could deflect enough to land his own.

“Such strength, such blind devotion for her as you fight against me with. Can you not see the danger, do you not realize why she will be your end?”   
  


Kylo had just taken a blow to the shoulder blades and he staggered back, before rounding on the droid in anger. “Whatever dangers lay ahead, it can be won.” He instead of using the rapier dropped it and in one last move to finish the fight parried a blow aimed at his sternum deflecting the strike to bruise roughly against his ribs instead. He grabbed the head and rushed it hard against the wall. It crunched, and the droid sparked as he dragged it with the merciless force, willing the damn thing to die. “It will be won, with her by my side, together.”

The red eye that was left lost its glow, and the machine became dead weight in his hands. His heavy breathing was the only sound in the room as he finally let go of the droid and let it fall to the ground.

The adrenaline rush had the blood pounding in his ears. It almost made him mistake the pounding noise at the door as anything, but an echo of it. 

He moved towards it, so he could palm it open, clutching his side instinctively when he breathed in deep and the pain wrapped around his body like a vice. Hoping she’d just woken, and too exhausted to reach across the bond for more than confirmation it was her on the other side.

The door opened and she must have been leaning on it, for she tumbled across and he caught her much to the outrage of every muscle he had.

Tears streamed down her face, and he gently straightened her up before letting go. “It’s okay,” he tried to assure her. “I’m okay.”

The tears didn’t stop, despite the fact she was very very angry. She looked at the room behind him. “The door wouldn’t allow me access. I couldn’t reach you. I could hear the fight, and feel your injuries. I called for you. I kept calling, but you didn’t hear me.” 

He’d not felt her, but then again, he’d shut everything off to be able to defeat the droid. “I-I’m sorry.” He winced as he flexed the broken fingers.

“Here,” she held out her palm, asking for his right hand. “I’ll start with that while you tell me, what the kriffing hell is going on.”

He grimaced as he felt the bones start to correct and pop back in place in his thumb as she healed. “I’ll never get used to that.” He sighed, before starting on the story.

“Do we flee?” She asked when he finished, her hands on his ribs. 

“No.” He said, unsure how to explain that while the Emperor had put him in a life and death battle, the battle had been a test, and while he didn’t understand all the implications of winning it, he knew that his position within the Empire had not been removed.

Her hazel eyes searched his face and he saw fear for him in them. The concern was touching, as intimate as a kiss. He smiled and touched her cheek. She was almost finished healing him, and he hoped for the last time. 

“I don’t trust him. I don’t think he’ll let this go, now that he knows.” Her fingers grasped the invisible object. “We should--”

There was a click and the computer system imputed an alert. “General Tarkin is at the front door.” 

This was not entirely unexpected. He’d hoped to have till morning. 

They walked together. He didn’t feel like meeting generals and troops half naked, so they first returned to their rooms to put on a formal dress. He could see her nervousness, but under it all was something more, and before they left the room he stopped her.

“What is it?”

Her chin quivered and he could see her struggling to tell him. Did she think they marched to their deaths? The late hour and the politics of his position were not known to her, and this must look ominous. “Rey, it’ll be okay.”

“I can’t take it off.” She grasped near her neck and he saw her fingers move around the invisible object. “I tried.” 

“What happens?” 

“It slips through my hand like water.” She showed him, trying to move it up over her head, and then trying to tug it off. “I didn’t mind it before, but now,” her voice faltered. “I don’t know what it means.”

Kylo's jaw clenched, but he took her hand leading her out of the room. “I’ll find out what I can. It’s not harmed you yet, and there’s no reason to assume it will.”

Her small hand rested so trustingly in his. Her other hand on the growing baby bump under her robes. She nodded and kept silent till they’d almost reached the drawing room where Tarkin and the guards had been let in by the security system. 

General Tarkin stood at attention as did the twelve red guards behind him. The guards all had crimson capes. The hand selected few of the Emperor’s, and as such never left his ship. Tarkin had never been one for small talk. His gray eyes watched them enter, and allowed a long pause before addressing them.

“The Emperor is dead.”

Of all the things Kylo had been expecting this had not been even a possibility. It was almost absurd, his entire family dead in twenty-four hours. Rey’s hand squeezed his own and she looked at Tarkin.

“What does this mean?”

Tarkin looked at Kylo as if such a question was too absurd for him to answer.

“It means,” Kylo said, feeling the weight of the responsibility and the implications of the full reign of power. “That I have become Emperor.”

He took her hands and watched as she tried to absorb the news, he could help but smile as he gave her the last bit, kissing her knuckles.

“And you are now Empress.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  



End file.
